Femtosecond laser-assisted removal of an intracorneal chestnut, a case report

To report a case of femtosecond laser-assisted removal of an intracorneal chestnut.

A chestnut was obliquely protruding to the stroma of cornea and it was localized at the paracentral region on the left eye of a 32-year-old man. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA, in decimal values) was 0.6 in the injured eye. The white ulcers with feathery edges or satellite infiltrates were not observed in the lesion, and the anterior chamber was deep and quiet. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) demonstrated that the original entry path of the foreign body had been sealed, spanning a thickness of approximate 152 μm. In view of location of the intraocular chestnut at the paracentral region, femtosecond laser was applied according to the procedures of IntraLase Enabled Keratoplasty (IEK) to create an anterior lamellar flap rapidly and precisely. The lamellar flap was easily separated with a flap lifter, and the chestnut was removed entirely using a pair of forceps. In 3 days after surgery, the patient complained of mild pain and blurred vision. These symptoms were relieved after treatment with the eyedrops. At three-month follow-up, the corneal wound was healed well, and the BCVA was greatly improved to 1.2 in the left eye. A dot-like haze was observed corresponding to the scar at the site of foreign body removal. No surgical induction of corneal astigmatism was found in the corneal topography.

Without induction of a visually significant scar and corneal astigmatism, the IEK procedure of femtosecond laser is of particular interest as it provides a unique method for removal of intracorneal foreign bodies impinging on the visual axis.