Complex-Type Foreign Body Penetrating Injuries of the Craniofacial Region and Surgical Management: A Report of Three Cases.

Abstract

Craniofacial penetrating injuries are not a rare sight in the career of oral and maxillofacial surgeons and trainees, but bizarre craniomaxillofacial sharp injuries caused by peculiar foreign bodies to the head and neck region, complicating and obscuring the vital structures, are seldomfound. Foreign bodies such as lunch boxes, wooden branches or twigs are peculiarly associated with penetrating/perforating craniofacial severe impaled injuries with dramatic consequences. Three cases are reported, with elaborate descriptions of the site, kind, and severity of the injuries. Cases 1 and 3, wooden impalement injuries into the neck region and sensitive orbital region, respectively, necessitating immediate surgical retrieval as in both cases. In case 2, 4-year old sustained an injury with a sharp rim of the lunch box, obscuring the entire craniofacial region and impeding the primary care and assessment.Cases represent the peculiarity of the injuries caused by unusual foreign bodies and how their uniqueness demanded a different surgical intervention.The need for a multidisciplinary approach is crucial to managing these injuries in areas with a high degree of specialization overlap, such as the craniofacial region. We give an overview of the diagnosis and treatment of penetrating foreign body trauma encountered in our department. Every foreign bodypenetrating trauma demands a formulation of a different surgical plan and stands as a challenge for the treating surgeons. Adequate radiology knowledge, detection, vigilant clinical assessment, and tension-free closure are a few of the important aspects for the ideal management of penetrating foreign body trauma.