A woman was found with 27 contact lenses lodged in her eye.

However she was unaware they were there until the lenses were discovered by a trainee ophthalmologist.

Seventeen lenses were found by Rupal Morjaria, who noticed what he described as a "blueish mass", the Mirror reported.

She then found another 10 lenses on a second inspection,

“None of us have ever seen this before,” Ms Morjaria told Optometry Today,

“It was such a large mass. All the 17 contact lenses were stuck together. We were really surprised that the patient didn’t notice it because it would cause quite a lot of irritation while it was sitting there."

The woman had been due to have cataract surgery, but it was postponed after the discovery.

She had been wearing monthly disposable lenses for 35 years but had neither reported any problems or had regular optometrist appointments.

“In this day and age, when it is so easy to purchase contact lenses online, people become lax about having regular check ups,” she added.

“Contact lenses are used all the time, but if they are not appropriately monitored we see people with serious eye infections that can cause them to lose their sight."