A rare case has been reported in which a fully grown canine was discovered above the eye of a teenage boy whose upper eyelid had been swollen for a month.
According to the foreign media outlet ‘New York Post’, on the 28th, a 16-year-old boy living in India visited a hospital because of swelling in his left upper eyelid that had persisted for about a month. He had no pain and had never injured the area around his eye.
An examination found that the inner one-third of the left upper eyelid was bulging, with two hard, clearly defined white protrusions exposed above it. Doctors performed a CT scan to determine their exact identity, and found a high-density structure extending from the orbital roof, the upper bone surrounding the left eye, to the front of the eyelid. In particular, the structure clearly showed the shape of a tooth crown and root, while two protrusions resembling actual teeth extended outward from its surface.
Doctors ultimately removed the structure through surgery, confirming that it was a fully mature canine. They diagnosed it as an ectopic tooth that had developed in a location completely different from the normal dentition.
◇Ectopic teeth that develop outside the gums
Ectopic teeth are a condition in which teeth develop or erupt in areas other than the gums or dentition where they should normally emerge. In the past, cases have also been reported in the nasal cavity, maxillary sinus, palate and around the temporomandibular joint. Cases discovered near the eye are extremely rare, and cases like this one, in which a tooth grows above the eye and protrudes into the eyelid, are particularly unusual.
Symptoms vary depending on where the tooth is located. Some are discovered incidentally without any notable symptoms, but pressure on surrounding tissue can cause pain, swelling and recurrent inflammation. When a tooth develops in the nose or sinuses, it can also cause nasal congestion, nosebleeds and recurrent sinusitis.
◇Why was there a tooth above the eye? The exact cause is unknown
The exact cause of ectopic teeth remains unclear. Possible contributing factors include abnormalities during the early developmental process in which teeth form, obstruction of the tooth's eruption path, insufficient space, trauma and cysts. In this case, however, there was no history of trauma, and doctors were unable to identify a specific cause.
When a tooth presses on surrounding tissue or causes inflammation or pain, its exact location must first be identified through imaging tests before it is surgically removed. Particularly in areas such as around the eyes, where important structures are concentrated, the tooth's location and any damage to surrounding tissue should be assessed before it grows deeper.
According to the foreign media outlet ‘New York Post’, on the 28th, a 16-year-old boy living in India visited a hospital because of swelling in his left upper eyelid that had persisted for about a month. He had no pain and had never injured the area around his eye.
An examination found that the inner one-third of the left upper eyelid was bulging, with two hard, clearly defined white protrusions exposed above it. Doctors performed a CT scan to determine their exact identity, and found a high-density structure extending from the orbital roof, the upper bone surrounding the left eye, to the front of the eyelid. In particular, the structure clearly showed the shape of a tooth crown and root, while two protrusions resembling actual teeth extended outward from its surface.
Doctors ultimately removed the structure through surgery, confirming that it was a fully mature canine. They diagnosed it as an ectopic tooth that had developed in a location completely different from the normal dentition.
◇Ectopic teeth that develop outside the gums
Ectopic teeth are a condition in which teeth develop or erupt in areas other than the gums or dentition where they should normally emerge. In the past, cases have also been reported in the nasal cavity, maxillary sinus, palate and around the temporomandibular joint. Cases discovered near the eye are extremely rare, and cases like this one, in which a tooth grows above the eye and protrudes into the eyelid, are particularly unusual.
Symptoms vary depending on where the tooth is located. Some are discovered incidentally without any notable symptoms, but pressure on surrounding tissue can cause pain, swelling and recurrent inflammation. When a tooth develops in the nose or sinuses, it can also cause nasal congestion, nosebleeds and recurrent sinusitis.
◇Why was there a tooth above the eye? The exact cause is unknown
The exact cause of ectopic teeth remains unclear. Possible contributing factors include abnormalities during the early developmental process in which teeth form, obstruction of the tooth's eruption path, insufficient space, trauma and cysts. In this case, however, there was no history of trauma, and doctors were unable to identify a specific cause.
When a tooth presses on surrounding tissue or causes inflammation or pain, its exact location must first be identified through imaging tests before it is surgically removed. Particularly in areas such as around the eyes, where important structures are concentrated, the tooth's location and any damage to surrounding tissue should be assessed before it grows deeper.