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This abstract is assigned to session AOB Free Papers

Presentation type	Oral presentation
Title	Wriggling surprise during cataract surgery.

Purpose	To present a rare case of intracapsular pentastomiasis.
Methods	This article reports the case of a 10 year-old girl seen during a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who turned out to suffer from ocular pentastomiasis in an uncommon location.
Results	The girl complained about progressive unilateral vision loss since one year. Slit lamp examination revealed a white cataract in the right eye. Fundoscopy was inaccessible. During surgery, an annulated worm was found in the capsular bag. Further anamnesis was remarkable for regular snake and crocodile meat consumption. A clinical diagnosis of ocular pentastomiasis was made. The worm was sent for analysis to the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Germany, for characterization, which confirmed the diagnosis. Human pentastomiasis is a rare, yet emerging zoonotic disease. Consumption of undercooked, infected snake meat may lead to visceral pentastomiasis, which is usually asymptomatic. Ocular involvement is uncommon but often devastating. The parasite resides with a decreasing frequency in the anterior chamber, in the ocular adnexa or the posterior chamber. To our knowledge, intracapsular involvement has not been described so far. After surgery, fundoscopy showed diffuse retinal atrophy and the vision did unfortunately not improve.
Conclusion	Ocular pentastomiasis can be a devastating cause of vision loss in endemic regions. This case illustrates a possible intracapsular location of the parasite. Informing populations concerned about this pathology and promoting hygiene in meal preparation could potentially prevent some cases of blindness.
Conflict of interest	No

Authors 1

Last name	KOULALIS
Initials	J
Department	UZB
City	Brussel

Authors 2

Last name	Mayala
Initials	T
Department	Hôpital Provincial de référence de Bandundu
City	Bandundu RDC

Authors 3

Last name	Koller
Initials	J
Department	OWW
City	Ath

Authors 4

Last name	Hardy
Initials	R
Department	Clinique Ophtalmologique St Raphaël
City	Mbuji Mai RDC

Authors 5

Last name	Dugauquier
Initials	A
Department	Het Oogziekenhuis
City	Rotterdam