An Unusual/Rare Case of Toothbrush Impalement Injury in Floor of Mouth.

Abstract

Foreign bodies of the aero-digestive tract are commonly seen emergencies in ENT practice. Young children often present with accidental ingestion of foreign bodies like coins and battery cells. However penetrative foreign bodies of the oral cavity and the aerodigestive tract are relatively rare. They can mostly me managed conservatively, however, they may develop life threatening complications like deep neck space infections and major arterial injury in few cases. After doing extensive literature search, we could find only 1 similar case with impaled toothbrush in the floor of mouth. Therefore, we are reporting only the second case of a child who presented with impalement of toothbrush in the floor of mouth. The toothbrush was surgically removed under general anaesthesia and post-operative period was uneventful. Take home message is to not forcefully pull out the foreign body and seek otorhinolaryngological intervention at the earliest.