[Immunological tolerance of intraocular eyelashes after penetrating corneal injury].

Penetrating eye injuries often lead to serious symptoms, such as severe inflammation and pain, especially if residual intraocular foreign bodies are present. This case report describes a patient who suffered a penetrating corneal injury resulting in eyelashes being displaced into the anterior chamber. Although no treatment was given the anterior chamber of the eye did not show any inflammatory reactions 2 weeks after the trauma. In addition to the accident mechanism the material of which the foreign body is composed plays a decisive role. While iron, copper and wooden foreign bodies lead to severe intraocular inflammation, keratin is immunologically well-tolerated.