A 7-year-old castrated male Pug presented to Cornell’s Ophthalmology Service on April 11, 2017, for evaluation of a mass on the right eye. The patient had the mass when the owner adopted him 3 years prior to presentation but over time the mass caused progressive irritation, indicated by the patient rubbing his eye. The patient was otherwise healthy.

On presentation, the patient was bright, alert, and responsive. His ocular examination revealed mild blepharospasm of the right eye with a large raised ovoid mass (8 mm X 8 mm) extending across the temporal cornea and scleral conjunctiva. Several hairs were growing from the mass. The palpebral reflex, pupillary light reflex, and menace response were intact in both eyes. Schirmer tear tests and intraocular pressure values were normal in both eyes, and both eyes were fluorescein stain negative. Pre-operative bloodwork was within normal limits.

The patient’s primary problem was determined to be a corneal/conjunctival mass, causing secondary irritation. Based on the appearance and location of the mass, a presumptive diagnosis of an ocular dermoid was made. The mass was removed via superficial keratectomy and submitted for histopathology, where the mass was confirmed to be a dermoid.

This case report will discuss ocular dermoids, with a focus on diagnosis, etiology, and surgical management.