The use of anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) in the imaging diagnostics of intracorneal foreign bodies.

Eye injuries are a serious problem and may result in reduced visual acuity. The most common eye injuries include corneal damage, often involving the presence of a foreign body. OCT examination of the anterior segment - AS OCT - may be a valuable test in the diagnostics and follow-up of patients in whom the presence of a foreign body after eye trauma is suspected. The authors present the case of a young man diagnosed with multiple, glass, intrastromal corneal foreign bodies. A 30-year-old patient visited an ophthalmologist a few days after an eye injury accompanied by the breaking of a glass object. Initially, only a non-penetrating corneal wound was diagnosed. During the examination, the ophthalmologist noticed a small shard of glass coming from the wound. The small glass foreign body was removed and the patient was advised to consult a center of higher reference. The patient reported to the Department of Ophthalmology and Ocular Oncology at Jagiellonian University Medical College in Kraków, Poland, 2 weeks after the injury. Slit lamp examination did not provide a clear answer as to the presence of glass fragments in the cornea. The wound was healed. The eyeball showed no signs of irritation. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) was performed, which revealed small pieces of glass. The patient did not consent to wound revision. The patient's follow-up lasted 4 years. During this time, no signs of post-traumatic eye irritation or corneal edema were observed, and visual acuity did not deteriorate. AS-OCT examination enables accurate diagnosis of the presence and location of glass foreign bodies in the cornea. Glass, as an inert material, does not tend to cause inflammation of the cornea and anterior segment. The patient requires further regular ophthalmological follow-up.