Background: Intraocular cilia after penetrating injuries or surgery causing acute or subclinical inflammation are a well-known problem. In a healthy young patient with acute intraocular inflammation but no history of trauma the diagnosis may be missed initially.
History and signs: A young farmer presented with severe eye pain, scleritis and a circumscribed chorioretinal and vitreous infiltrate. There was no history or evidence of eye trauma or systemic disease.
Therapy and outcome: Staphylococci were identified from vitreous material. During vitreous surgery an intraretinal cilium was found and removed. After intravitreal antibiotic treatment, the vision completely recovered.
Conclusion: Acute intraocular inflammation should alert the ophthalmologist to consider an intraocular foreign body as a possible cause even if there is no history of trauma.