Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026
10:08
Pseudofracture: An Acute Peripheral Tissue Trauma Model
Published on: April 18, 2011
15.2K
Enlarging Pigmented Eyelid Mass Associated with Remote Pencil Trauma.
Paul O Phelps1, J Andrew Carlson2, Dale R Meyer2
1Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery, Lions Eye Institute, Slingerlands, New York, USA.
Ocular Oncology and Pathology
|January 19, 2018
Summary
A graphite pencil tip was found in a woman's eyelid, causing a pigmented mass. Histopathology revealed granulomatous inflammation and macrophages surrounding the foreign object.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pathology
- Foreign Body Reactions
Background:
- Pigmented lesions of the eyelid can have various causes.
- Foreign bodies in the orbit are rare but can lead to inflammatory responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a unique case of a pencil lead foreign body presenting as an eyelid mass.
- To describe the histopathological findings associated with a graphite foreign body in the eyelid.
Main Methods:
- Clinical presentation of a gradually enlarging pigmented eyelid mass.
- Surgical excision and histopathological examination of the mass.
- Microscopic analysis for foreign material and inflammatory cells.
Main Results:
- A graphite pencil core was identified within the upper eyelid and anterior orbit.
- The graphite was surrounded by a fibrous capsule and macrophages containing graphite pigment.
- Histopathology confirmed granulomatous inflammation.
Conclusions:
- Pencil lead can act as a foreign body, inducing a foreign body granuloma.
- This case highlights the importance of considering unusual foreign bodies in the differential diagnosis of eyelid masses.
- Prompt diagnosis and removal are essential for managing such conditions.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Enlargement of the Plasma Membrane
2.5K
Cell division and enlargement are processes that require precise control. The control ensures that cell division cannot proceed unless the cell has grown to a specific size. A spherical, dividing cell requires an approximately 1.6X increase in its surface area to double its volume. The secretory pathway also has a significant role in cell membrane enlargement. Secretory vesicles that bud off from the Golgi apparatus and later fuse with the plasma membrane during exocytosis are a major source of...
2.5K
01:19Pigmentation
4.5K
The color of the skin is influenced by a number of pigments, including melanin, carotene, and hemoglobin. Recall that melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes, which are found scattered throughout the stratum basale of the epidermis. The melanin is transferred to the keratinocytes via melanosomes.
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
4.5K
01:52Atomic Mass
70.7K
Atoms — and the protons, neutrons, and electrons that compose them — are extremely small. For example, a carbon atom weighs less than 2 × 10−23 g. When describing the properties of tiny objects such as atoms, we use appropriately small units of measure, such as the atomic mass unit (amu). The amu was originally defined based on hydrogen, the lightest element, then later in terms of oxygen. Since 1961, it has been defined with regard to the most abundant isotope of carbon, atoms of which...
70.7K
01:54Molar Mass
87.2K
The identity of a substance is defined not only by the types of atoms or ions it contains but by the quantity of each type of atom or ion. For example, water, H2O, and hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, are alike in that their respective molecules are composed of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. However, because a hydrogen peroxide molecule contains two oxygen atoms, as opposed to the water molecule, which has only one, the two substances exhibit very different properties.
87.2K
02:56Formula Mass and Mole Concepts of Compounds
82.8K
Formula Mass of Covalent Compounds
82.8K
01:22Mass Concreting
363
Mass concreting refers to the process of placing large volumes of concrete, such as in gravity dams. The heat generated during the cement hydration process and differential cooling rates within the concrete mass can lead to a temperature gradient, which can result in thermal cracks in the concrete mass.
To reduce the risk of such cracking, the concrete mix may incorporate low-heat cement and pozzolans to reduce the temperature rise. Pre-cooled angular aggregates and water-reducing admixtures...
To reduce the risk of such cracking, the concrete mix may incorporate low-heat cement and pozzolans to reduce the temperature rise. Pre-cooled angular aggregates and water-reducing admixtures...
363