Intrusion of scleral implant associated with conjunctival epithelial ingrowth

A 26-year-old boxer sustained a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment that was repaired successfully. Repeated blunt trauma caused a second retinal detachment two years later. Three attempts at repair by scleral buckling with diathermy and drainage of subretinal fluid were unsuccessful, and the eye was enucleated. Pathologic examination showed internal erosion of the intrascleral silicone implant into the vitreous compartment. Conjunctival-like epithelium lined the intrascleral bed of the implant and extended through the internal erosion onto intraocular structures, and this conjunctival epithelium was traced onto the external surface of the eye. Repeated dissection and applications of diathermy, combined with drainage of subretinal fluid, had weakened the sclera so that the silicone implant eroded internally and epithelium grew into the eye.