The patient reported being hit in the eyelid by an unknown object a week prior. The impact caused bleeding, but minimal pain, with only slight discomfort when touched. A few days later, the external wound had healed, but the lump persisted, prompting his family to seek medical attention.
On 26/7, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Tien, Head of the General Ophthalmology Department at Hoa Lu Eye Hospital, examined the patient. The boy had a 10x10 mm firm lump on his upper left eyelid. His eye showed no signs of severe inflammation or unusual discharge.
Suspecting a foreign object lodged within the eyelid, Dr. Tien recommended surgery. The procedure revealed a 6 mm metal pellet just beneath the skin of the left eyelid, mere millimeters from the eyeball. Following the successful removal, the patient's vision remained unimpaired.
"Had the impact been stronger, the pellet could have directly struck the eyeball, causing internal bleeding, retinal detachment—damaging a crucial layer of the eye—or even rupturing the eyeball itself, leading to severe vision loss," Dr. Tien explained.
The exact nature and origin of the pellet remain unknown.
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The 6mm metal pellet removed from the boy's eyelid. Photo: Hospital provided |
The 6mm metal pellet removed from the boy's eyelid. Photo: Hospital provided
Dr. Tien cautions against neglecting any eye injury, however minor it may seem. Foreign objects like nails, glass shards, and pellets can penetrate the skin and lodge deep within the tissue without causing significant pain, often going unnoticed. Delayed detection greatly increases the risk of eye damage.
Le Phuong
