Exophthalmos due to a wooden foreign body in a dog

Abstract

An 8-year-old Golden Retriever dog was presented with a 10-month history of right-sided exophthalmos. Radiographs and CT demonstrated a linear density, suggestive of a foreign body, in the region of the ramus of the right mandible. A 7 cm stick, located medial to the right zygomatic arch, was removed during exploratory surgery. The dog recovered with the aid of antibiotics, however was left with a residual facial nerve paralysis.

Computed tomography as an aid to management of chronic oropharyngeal stick injury in the dog

“…Cases often present with a recurrent swelling or abscess of the head or neck, with or without a cutaneous draining sinus. Ongoing dysphagia, halitosis and neck or jaw pain may be present (White and Lane 1988, Griffiths and others 2000, O’Reilly and others 2002, Young and others 2004). Diagnostic imaging plays an important role in the evaluation of animals with these clinical signs.…”

“…Diagnostic imaging plays an important role in the evaluation of animals with these clinical signs. Plain and contrast radiography (sinography), ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have all been described (White and Lane 1988, Lamb and others 1994, Pratt and others 1999, Griffiths and others 2000, O’Reilly and others 2002, Armbrust and others 2003, Young and others 2004). The aims of management are to locate and remove residual FBs, lavage and debride the abscess lining, and provide appropriate drainage (White and Lane 1988, Griffiths and others 2000, Halfacree and others 2007).…”

Exophthalmia due to intracranial abscess from grass seed foreign material in a dog

“…However, these cases are reported to also have otitis and concurrent vestibular signs, which were absent in the dog in the current report, (Spangler and Dewey 2000, Garosi and others 2012). In previously reported cases where the suspected route of entry has been the conjunctiva or the oropharynx, the presenting symptom included conjunctival or oral inflammation (O'Reilly and others 2002, Tovar and others 2005, Hartley and others 2007, Mateo and others 2007, Welihozkiy and others 2011). The dog presented here only had mild exophthalmos with no conjunctival or oral inflammation at the time of referral.…”

“…None of these cases were reported to have developed a brain abscess. Other case reports suspect or describe grass seeds and other foreign material resulting in exophthalmia and retrobulbar cellulitis in dogs and cats (Koch and others 1970, Grahn and others 1995, Homma and others 2000, O'Reilly and others 2002, Stades and others 2003, Tovar and others 2005, Hartley and others 2007, van der Woerdt 2008, Welihozkiy and others 2011). However, as before, none of these cases were reported to have developed a brain abscess in association with the foreign body.…”

“…Intracranial abscessation has been reported in dogs and cats due to a number of causes including migrating foreign bodies (Dennis and others 2005, Mateo and others 2007). Foreign material that has entered the ear, conjunctiva/sclera, nasal cavity or the pterygopalatine fossa may lead to retrobulbar abscessation and migrate to cause intracranial disease (Grahn and others 1995, O'Reilly and others 2002, Stades and others 2003, Tovar and others 2005, Hartley and others 2007, Welihozkiy and others 2011). Of the 15 patients in these six case reports, 10 had a foreign body enter through the conjunctiva/sclera, and all had the foreign material recovered from the site, or this was seen on enucleation, which confirmed it as the cause of the problem.…”