Lateral nasal wall abscess following manipulation of fractured nasal bones

Abstract

Nasal fracture accounts for over 50% of facial fractures and is a frequent presentation to ear, nose and throat emergency clinics. Optimal management of nasal injuries with deformity is by manipulation under anaesthetic and should be offered when appropriate. A healthy 27-year-old woman presented with a lateral nasal wall mass with purulent discharge 1 month following manipulation. CT imaging revealed a mass arising from fragments of the nasal bone, consistent with an abscess. Bone fragments and purulent material were initially debrided, with a subsequent formal excision of a persistent granuloma performed with an excellent cosmetic outcome. This appears to be the first description of a granuloma resulting from a closed reduction—manipulation of a nasal fracture.