Retained soft contact lens masquerading as a chalazion: A case report
An 83-year-old female with a left upper lid swelling was referred by her physician. She reported having this gradually enlarging, painless swelling for the last 2–3 years, which was now causing her eyelid to droop. She had been a soft contact lens wearer for 14 years. There was no history of any ocular trauma or lid surgery. On examination, a freely mobile 2 cm × 3 cm cystic swelling was noted in the left upper lid, which was causing an upper lid ptosis of 1 mm []. The rest of the ocular examination was normal. A presumptive diagnosis of chalazion was made and an incision and curettage was performed. During the procedure, a soft silicone hydrogel contact lens with granulation tissue was noted at the base of the cystic lesion and removed []. On further questioning, it transpired that 13 years previously she had lost a soft contact lens from her left eye. She assumed that it has spontaneously fallen out and she never went to see an optician or an ophthalmologist. Following this incident, she resumed uneventful contact lens wear.