Man had splinter lodged in his eye for 15 years: ‘Remarkable’

An opthalmologist performing a routine checkup made an eye-opening discovery.

An unidentified man in his 30s, believed to be from Boston, is said to have been living with a 3 millimeter wooden splinter lodged in his eye for more than 15 years, according to a study conducted at  Kresge Eye Institute in Detroit, Michigan. 

Doctors from Harvard Medical School and Wayne State University in Detroit shared photos of the man’s eye with BMJ Case reports. 

The man was having his eyes checked because he is diabetic. People with diabetes can get a group of eye problems called diabetic eye disease and potentially blindness. 

These issues include glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic macular edema, and diabetic retinopathy.

Doctors didn’t initially see anything wrong with the patient’s peepers, though they eventually noticed a foreign body in his cornea, the eye’s outermost layer.

The man said that he suffered from an extremely painful “penetrating injury” while gardening 15 years ago, but stopped thinking about it because his symptoms disappeared,” the Daily Mail reported. 

“The patient had a history of a penetrating eye injury sustained while gardening 15 years ago,” a report stated.

“At the time of the injury, the patient reported experiencing immediate pain and discomfort but decided not to seek medical attention as the symptoms seemed to resolve over time. No further ophthalmic evaluation or treatment was pursued, and the patient’s vision appeared stable over the years,” they added.

They called the case “remarkable” and said that most foreign bodies are detected in the eye soon after injury.

“Most cases are detected and managed promptly after the injury, as they often cause significant pain, redness and tearing, and serve as a nidus for infection,” said the team of doctors. 

“However, in some instances, the foreign body may be asymptomatic and can remain undetected for an extended period,” they continued. 

Doctors didn’t say if they removed the splinter, which luckily had not perforated the patient’s cornea — which could cause blindness.

They told the man to go about his normal life and return to the doctor if he had any pain or vision problems. 

The Post reached out to Harvard and Wayne State for comment.