Retained large glass fragments for over 40 years in the maxillofacial region

Abstract

Foreign body (FB) impaction in the maxillofacial area could be caused by knives, glass fragments, and vegetative materials. We present the rare case of a 62-year-old man with a large glass FB in the left cheek retained for over 40 years. He had traffic accident over 40 years ago and glass fragments impacted on his left cheek. Glass fragments were retained around the zygomatic arch with dimpled scar and unclear serous discharge, but other facial motor or sensory dysfunction was not observed. We confirmed three glass fragments with radiologic examination including plain radiograph and computed tomographic image. Under general anesthesia, impacted glass fragments were removed through the direct incision on the dimpled scar and the additional incision on the left lateral canthal area. Remnant FBs were not seen on an intraoperative C-arm radiograph. After 2 days of irrigation for inflammation control, the dimpled wound was sutured. The wound was healed without major complication and the original dimpled scar was much improved.

Residual foreign body inflammation caused by a lumber beam penetrating the facial region: a case report

“…Bone fixation is necessary if a fracture is present. Infection control by using appropriate antibiotics is also a key to success [1,2,6,7]. The treatment is complemented by appropriate resuscitative management (e.g., volume replacement and securing the airway) along with an evaluation of bleeding and airway obstruction [2].…”

“…Foreign bodies that are not removed cause chronic inflammation and infection, which can lead to tunneling wounds or sinus tracts. Therefore, it is important to carefully examine whether remaining foreign substances are present through imaging tests before and after surgery [2,5,6].…”