Localization of Intra-ocular Foreign Body by Stainless Steel Sutures.

Examination.-The visual acuity in the right eye was 6/4 and that in the left 6/6. The right eye was moderately injected and examination revealed a very fine perforating wound of the cornea at 3 o'clock about 4 mm. in from the limbus. The slit lamp showed but few cells in the anterior chamber. The pupil dilated freely, the lens and vitreous were both clear, and no intra-ocular foreign body was visible. The left eye was normal on full ocular examination. Routine x rays showed the presence of an opaque minute intra-ocular foreign body in the right eye and this was then localized with a corneo-scleral ring. The foreign body could not be seen in the postero-anterior view, as its minute shadow was hidden behind that of the ring itself (Fig. 1). It was only by tilting the eye out of a true postero-anterior view that the foreign body was visible immediately adjacent to the ring (Fig. 2). No difficulty was encountered in locating the position of the foreign body in the lateral view. Localization was determined on these films and the scleral incision was made 2 mm. behind the limbus and 3 mm. from the mid-line where the foreign body was thought to lie in the ciliary body. After repeated unsuccessful attempts at removal with a magnet (Newton Victor P.M.X. Ophthalmic Magnet), the patient was returned to the ward for further localization.