title: Intravitreal cilium associated with retinal detachment 40 years following penetrating eye injury: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The presence of an intraocular cilium is very rare and the response of the eye to the cilium is variable. We present the case of a patient with a cilium found in the vitreous cavity during vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment 40 years following penetrating eye injury. To our knowledge, this is the longest reported presence of a cilium in the vitreous cavity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 70-year-old Caucasian woman presented to the emergency department of our hospital complaining of sudden visual impairment and floaters of her right eye initiated 2 weeks earlier. Ophthalmic history included a penetrating injury of the right eye with a sharp metallic object 40 years ago and an uncomplicated phacoemulsification surgery in the same eye 2 years earlier. Fundoscopy revealed an inferior macula off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. No inflammation was present. During vitrectomy and under scleral indentation at 5-o'clock position, a cilium was found at far retinal periphery. One end of the cilium was embedded in the retina, whereas the other end floated freely in the vitreous. The cilium was removed through the pars plana sclerotomy with intraocular foreign body forceps. The procedure was completed without any complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Penetrating eye injury is the most possible cause of cilium entrance in vitreous cavity in this case, which suggests that cilium can be well tolerated in vitreous cavity for as long as 40 years.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital of Athens, 154 Mesogion Av, 11527, Athens, Greece. mariadetor@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dettoraki
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital of Athens, 154 Mesogion Av, 11527, Athens, Greece. coandre80@icloud.com.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Andreanos
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital of Athens, 154 Mesogion Av, 11527, Athens, Greece. st.davou@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Stavroula
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Davou
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital of Athens, 154 Mesogion Av, 11527, Athens, Greece. nominikos@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nomikarios
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital of Athens, 154 Mesogion Av, 11527, Athens, Greece. moschosmarilita@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Marilita M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Moschos
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Ophthalmology, University of Athens, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital of Athens, 154 Mesogion Av, 11527, Athens, Greece. brouzas@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brouzas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002923:Cilia; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005129:Eye Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D015807:Eye Injuries, Penetrating / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery