Fishing Down Under: case report and review of management of a fishhook injury of the eyelid

Abstract

A 21‐year‐old man presented to the emergency department of the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital with a fishhook embedded in his unprotected left upper eyelid. The fishhook was removed after exploration of the left eye by vertical eyelid incision. Subsequent eyelid reconstruction by lid margin adaptation was performed. Management of these injuries depends on type of hook, the involved ocular structure and location of the hook. This is an update on management options, where triage and surgical approaches are discussed. This case illustrates the risk to the eyes while fishing. Persons with an interest in fishing should be advised to wear eye protection.

Key words:

• eyelid
• eye protection
• fishhook
• removal techniques

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I thank Dr Thanh Nguyen and Associate Professor Jie Jin Wang from CERA, The University of Melbourne, for reviewing and editing this case report.