Severe Marginal Ulcerative Keratitis Induced by an Insect Foreign Body in the Cornea

To report an uncommon case in which an insect foreign body (FB) in the cornea induced severe marginal ulcerative keratitis.

The insect body was removed during an eye examination. A shaped deep lamellar keratoplasty was then performed on the ulcerous corneal tissue and pseudopterygium. The insect FB was identified as a member of the nontoxic Diptera insect order, belonging to either the Chloropidae or Sphaeroceridae family.

The patient recovered well after the keratoplasty, and her corneal graft was clear with significantly improved visual acuity after 2 months.

Long-time retention of a nontoxic insect FB in the cornea could induce severe noninfectious keratitis. Individually designed deep lamellar keratoplasty successfully restored the transparency of the cornea and visual function.