localized corneal edema due to a small retained fragment of nucleus after phacoemulsification

purpose: to present a patient with localized corneal edema due to a small retained fragment of nucleus in the anterior chamber after uncomplicated phacoemulsification. case report: a 74-year-old female subject with history of phacoemulsification in her right eye about 1.5 years ago complained of foreign body sensation, pain and decreased vision in the same eye. visual acuity of that eye had decreased from 20/25 after the operation to 20/50 at the time of presentation. slitlamp examination revealed localized stromal edema in the inferior part of the cornea accompanied with iridocorneal adhesion and a 3 mm retained fragment of lens nucleus in the anterior chamber. the fragment was removed through a clear corneal incision which resulted in improvement of the ocular pain and corneal edema. conclusion: retained nuclear fragments are a complication of phacoemulsification cataract surgery which can present early or late postoperatively. one should consider this complication in the approach to a patient with postoperative localized corneal edema or intraocular inflammation even if the fragment is not visible itself.