Long-term corneal retention of a plant foreign body.

A fragment of sunflower stalk had been retained in the cornea of a 71-year-old man for 58 years. During initial healing of the wound, which included formation of a retrocorneal membrane over the foreign body in the anterior chamber, there was probably loss of endothelial cells. This probably predisposed the cornea to the endothelial decompensation that occurred following cataract extraction and implant of an intraocular lens 56 years after the foreign body first appeared in the cornea.