Medical professionals at the Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai, India, have successfully extracted a fully developed canine tooth from the eye socket of a 16-year-old boy. The procedure follows a rare medical case that experts believe is the first of its kind globally.
The patient sought medical attention after noticing a painless swelling in his upper left eyelid that had persisted for one month. Clinical examinations revealed two firm, white protrusions, and subsequent computed tomography scans confirmed the presence of a complete canine tooth emerging directly from the bone of the orbital socket.
Following the successful removal of the tooth, surgeons confirmed it was not associated with a teratoma, a rare tumor type capable of producing tissues such as hair, bone, or teeth. Instead, the case was classified as an ectopic tooth, a condition where a structurally normal tooth develops in an atypical location. While ectopic teeth are occasionally found in the maxillary sinus, their presence in the superior orbit is unprecedented.
Dr. Meghana Tanwar, a co-author of the case study, noted the rarity of the finding, stating, "To the best of our knowledge this is the first and only ectopic tooth reported in the superior orbit." She added, "This was a first not just for us but the world over. We were very surprised by it."
Although ectopic teeth rarely recur after extraction, Dr. Tanwar indicated that it is highly improbable for the patient to experience a similar development in the future. The details of this unique medical case were published in the journal Ophthalmology in June 2026.
