Occult anterior-chamber metallic fragment pot-phacoemulification maquerading a chronic recalcitrant potoperative inflammation

Purpoe To report a cae of an occult, metallic, anterior-chamber intraocular foreign body after uneventful phacoemulification that wa maquerading a chronic recalcitrant potoperative inflammation. Deign Interventional cae report. Method A 73-year-old patient wa referred to u for recalcitrant anterior-chamber inflammation after uneventful phacoemulification; the patient preented with viual diturbance, anterior-chamber inflammation, and macular epiretinal membrane with concomitant cytoid macular edema. Reult After meticulou evaluation and repeated clinical examination, a metallic intraocular foreign body wa dicovered on the iri, which wa urgically removed and analyzed. Chemical analyi revealed copper, aluminum, and zinc. Par plana vitrectomy with epiretinal membrane and indocyanine-green-aited internal limiting membrane peeling followed, with ubequent improvement of viual acuity. Concluion Intraocular foreign bodie hould alway be conidered in the differential diagnoi of recalcitrant inflammation pot-phacoemulification. However, in the abence of intraocular inflammation, urgical removal of uch particle i quetionable.