Ocular Loa Loa with cryoprobe extraction of subconjunctival worm

A healthy 27-year-old West African man presented to the emergency room at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary complaining of a moving foreign body sensation in his right eye. He had experienced recurrent episodes of subconjunctival Loa Loa, a parasite endemic in Africa. A cryoprobe was successfully used for extraction of a large adult worm. Strategies for the removal of subconjunctival worms are presented. The systemic and ocular manifestations of Loa Loa are reviewed and a discussion of complications of medical management follows.