Penetrating neck trauma

Abstract

Penetrating neck traumas are traumas that pass through the platysma muscle, and they account for 5% to 10% of all neck traumas. Penetrating head traumas can damage vital structures such as the airways, esophagus, major nerves and vessels. Thus, patients with penetrating neck traumas should be treated in hospital, and doctors should be careful when deciding on the best treatment. Currently, the need for surgery can be established based on imaging tests, clinical status of the patient, medical history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. Exploratory surgery is not necessary particularly because it is associated with complications. We present two patients with penetrating neck traumas who were treated in our center: a 22-year-old patient with a foreign body that, for two years, mimicked a tumor, and a 45-year-old patient with a stab wound requiring immediate treatment. In the first patient, finding the foreign body earlier would have allowed an immediate removal, which would have prevented subsequent surgery and reduced the risks of leaving the foreign body in the neck. In the second patient, immediate contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the neck showed a foreign body, its size and position, which helped to plan surgery. Conclusions: In hemodynamically stable patients with penetrating neck traumas, doctors should choose the best treatment based on imaging, medical history, and physical examination.