Overview

• A sluggish parasite was observed moving in the posterior segment of a 35-year-old man’s left eye after eight months of redness and blurred vision.
• Pars plana vitrectomy suction was employed to extract the worm, which was removed tail-first while still alive.
• Microscopic examination identified the nematode as a larval-stage Gnathostoma spinigerum based on its bulbous head, thick cuticle and developed intestine.
• Postoperative treatment with oral and ocular glucocorticoids plus albendazole resolved inflammation, though an eight-week follow-up revealed a persistent cataract reducing vision to 20/40.
• Gnathostoma spinigerum is endemic in India and typically cycles through carnivorous mammals and aquatic hosts, with human ocular infection remaining exceptionally rare.