Doctors remove ectopic canine tooth from 16-year-old's eye socket

Surgeons at Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai, India, have removed a fully developed canine tooth from the left eye socket of a 16-year-old boy. The patient had noticed painless swelling for approximately one month before two hard, white points began protruding between his eyelid and eyebrow.

Imaging revealed the tooth was an ectopic tooth, a condition where teeth develop in an incorrect location instead of the oral cavity. Clinical examination confirmed the growth was not part of a teratoma, a rare type of tumor that can contain various tissues like hair or bone. The protruding parts were identified as the crown and the root of the tooth.

Ectopic teeth are most commonly found in the maxillary sinus, but can also appear in the nasal cavity, palate, chin, or temporomandibular joint. While often asymptomatic, they can cause pain, swelling, headaches, or nasal obstructions depending on their location.