Scleral necrosis secondary to nonabsorbable suture following ptosis surgery

We report a unique case of persistent scleral ulceration in a 68-year-old woman who developed eye redness, pain, and photophobia 2 days following external levator advancement with nonabsorbable suture. Slit-lamp biomicroscopy revealed an area of scleral ulceration superonasal to the limbus. The patient was treated with 6 months of topical steroids with some improvement in her condition but without complete resolution. An exposed suture or foreign body was never directly visualized; however, a mobile nodule was noted upon palpation of the eyelid. Subsequent surgical eyelid exploration revealed a retained polypropylene suture, which was dissected free and removed. Postoperatively, the area of scleral ulceration resolved completely.