Pars plana vitrectomy for retinal detachment due to internal posterior ophthalmomyiasis after cataract extraction.

BACKGROUND

The authors report a case of posterior internal ophthalmomyiasis causing vitreous haemorrhage and retinal detachment after uncomplicated cataract extraction.

CASE REPORT: The patient suffered an abrupt vitreous haemorrhage 9 days after ECCE and posterior chamber IOL implantation. After 2 months the haemorrhage did not clear up and a retinal detachment arose. The patient underwent encircling scleral buckle, pars plana vitrectomy and fluid-gas exchange. In course of intervention the surgeon removed from the vitreous chamber a 14-mm-long round worm subsequently identified as a dipterous larva of the Sarcophagidae family.

DISCUSSION: The patient showed no sign of subretinal tracking or retinal breaks or holes. The sclerocorneal surgical wound seems the most likely site of entrance of the parasite, and this would then be the first reported case of myiasis with no RPE tracking.