A rare asymtomatic metallic foreign body retained in the subconjunctival space for over 50 years: A Case Report

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Background Superficial foreign body present on the conjunctiva or cornea can be easily detected and removed, and may pose minimal harm if addressed promptly. In this report, we present a case with a metallic foreign body remained within the subconjunctival space for over 50 years without significant ocular complications.Case presentation: An 80-year-old woman complained of tearing and blurred vision in the left eye. Slit-lamp examination showed the presence of a tiny metallic foreign body within subconjunctival space and the cataract in the left eye. No further abnormal findings were observed in the fundus and extraocular components during the examination. After inquiring about the patient's history of trauma, it was revealed that over 50 years ago, the patient experienced an ocular injury from a shard of iron while working at a factory. Since the patient's strong desire to alleviate ocular discomfort, the subconjunctival foreign body was removed under topical anesthesia in the operating room. After a 1-month follow-up, the patient reported the complete relief of tearing symptoms.Conclusions In this case, there appears to be no severe consequences associated with the long-term retention of a subconjunctival metallic foreign body. Nonetheless, it is imperative to conduct meticulous patient evaluations and interventions to mitigate the potential risk of injury.