Localisation of corneal foreign bodies.

Of 50 patients attending the eye casualty department with a corneal foreign body (FB), 41 were able to say where they felt the FB and 78% of these were localised correctly for side or level of cornea. Patient handedness did not influence FB location. Indicating the upper lid was a particularly poor guide to localisation, whereas FB sensations within the palpebral fissure, in the lower lid or medially or laterally were good guides to actual FB location. A simple method of recording FB location by zone and clock hour is proposed.