A routine medical visit took a bizarre turn at a South Korean hospital when a 71-year-old farmer went in for a standard cataract evaluation, only for doctors to discover a severe infestation of parasitic roundworms inhabiting both of his eyes. The patient had endured two months of persistent redness, blurred vision, and uncomfortable foreign body sensations before seeking professional medical help.
Upon conducting a thorough examination, ophthalmologists at Kangwon National University Hospital uncovered a total of eleven live, translucent worms measuring between 11 and 20 millimeters in length. Microscopic analysis identified the parasites as Thelazia callipaeda, a species of roundworm typically known to infect animals such as dogs and cats. Alarmingly, medical imaging and tests revealed that some of the female worms had already reached reproductive maturity, laying fertilized eggs and releasing early-stage larvae directly within the patient's eyes.
Because standard deworming medications are generally ineffective for this specific condition, the medical team utilized topical anesthesia and fine forceps to physically extract the living parasites. Lead author Ji Eun Song noted that humans serve as accidental hosts for this type of infection, which is typically transmitted by face flies feeding on eye fluids. Following the successful removal of all eleven worms and a five-month monitoring period, the patient recovered completely and is now scheduled to proceed with his original cataract surgery.
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