Inadvertent dexamethasone implant injection into the lens body management

Abstract

Purpose: Dexamethasone intravitreal implant is an approved preparation in the treatment of macular edema. The most common adverse reactions are increased intraocular pressure and cataract but the inadvertent injection of the dexamethasone implant into the capsular bag is an extremely rare event.

Methods: We present a case of a 78-year-old man treated for persistence of cystoid macular edema (CME) with Ozurdex intravitreal implant in which the procedure was complicated by the injection of the dexamethasone implant into the lens body and discuss the management.

Results: The patient underwent phacoemulsification of the lens, replacement of the Ozurdex, and implant of a 3-piece lens in the posterior chamber.

Conclusions: The injection of an intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex) into the lens body is an extremely rare complication that can be effectively and successfully managed with the surgical extraction of the implant from the lens body and implant of a 3-piece intraocular lens in the sulcus.