LASIK Interface-Captured Foreign Bodies after Mild Traumatic Corneal Scratch without Flap Displacement

ABSTRACT

A 38-year-old woman developed diffusely distributed opacities with crystalline materials in the laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) interface of her eye after she was scratched by a sprig during mountain climbing. No sign of flap displacement was noted. Despite two days of topical and systemic antibiotics therapy, the corneal infiltration with interface opacities persisted. The following day, the distribution of the crystalline materials had rotated in a counterclockwise direction. Flap lifting and foreign body removal using sufficient irrigation were performed. One month after surgery, the patient's postoperative uncorrected visual acuity was 0.8 with cleared interface. No signs of epithelial ingrowth or flap striae were noted. Mild traumatic corneal scratching without flap displacement may threaten the integrity of the LASIK interface. If foreign bodies are suspected to be the cause of inflammation, early flap lifting with irrigation is imperative for successful treatment.