Coleoptera cincindelidae beetle in the eye

RSH Chung, RY Chew, KG Au-Eong
Correspondence: Dr Ronald Chung, ronald_chung2001@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
We report a case of a Coleoptera cincindelidae beetle that accidentally buried itself into the conjunctiva of the right eye of a 27-year-old man for five days. The beetle was difficult to remove but the patient suffered no long-term sequelae after removal of the insect. The eye returned to normal within a few days. The size of the beetle is similar to toxic beetles found in East Africa and similar injuries caused by beetle landing in the eye may happen in other parts of the world.

Keywords: beetles, conjunctival injuries, eye foreign bodies, insect injuries, ocular injuries
Singapore Med J 2005; 46(10): 564-565