Pars plana vitrectomy foreign body extraction assisted with a 24-gauge needle tunnel

A 54-year-old man presented with corneal laceration, traumatized iris, small vitreous hemorrhage, lens opacity, and a 13-mm intraocular foreign body embedded in the retina. Pars plana vitrectomy and argon laser photocoagulation were performed. Using intraocular forceps, the object was forced into a 24-gauge needle that was inserted through the sclerotomy. The foreign body and the needle were removed from the eye. Phacoemulsification with foldable intraocular lens implantation in the ciliary sulcus was performed. Seven days after the surgery, the patient's visual acuity was 20/20 with spectacle correction of -3.5 diopters. The use of a needle tunnel during pars plana vitrectomy should be considered in similar cases of large, irregular intraocular foreign bodies to avoid severe and irreversible damage to the adjoining tissues.