Unusual orbital foreign bodies

Purpose: To describe the clinical features of patients with unusual orbital foreign bodies. Methods: The clinical histories, preoperative photographs, imaging studies,and surgical pathologic findings of five patients with unusual orbital foreign bodies are presented. Additionally, published reports pertaining to similar cases were reviewed. Results: The five patients treated by the authors had good outcomes. Conclusions: An orbital foreign body may be overlooked because a small penetrating wound may be accompanied by minimal or no signs of inflammation early in the clinical course. A careful history and physical examination, imaging studies, and a strong suspicion are helpful for establishing the diagnosis of an orbital foreign body.