title: Retained intracorneal human hair fragment: An unusual case of occupational trauma.
abstract: A 32-year old male hairdresser presented with redness and irritation of the left eye for past 15 days. A fragment of hair was found embedded in deep corneal stroma with minimal scarring. No evidence was found of previous or current inflammation incited by this foreign body. The position and depth of the hair fragment was documented by anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and its effect on the corneal endothelium was assessed by specular microscopy. Hairdressers should take adequate precautions to prevent ocular injury although human hair appears to be well tolerated by the cornea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Venu Eye Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Varshini
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shanker
authors.affiliation: Oculoplasty and Orbit, Venu Eye Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Vishal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nigam
authors.affiliation: Cornea and Refractive Services, Dr. Shroffs Charity Eye Hospital, Daryaganj, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Umang
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mathur
keywords: Corneal foreign body; human hair; occupational risk