Fragmented Glass Foreign Body in the Pre-auricular Region: Computer-assisted Radio Monitoring-guided Retrieval in a 3-year-old Child

Abstract

Craniomaxillofacial region represents a complex region with anatomical boundaries that has difficult accessibility and slippage of foreign bodies into deeper planes challenging the surgical retrieval. Removal of embedded foreign bodies from the craniofacial region poses an additional risk of facial scars, particularly in the aesthetic zones. Most often for easy localisation and retrieval of these foreign bodies, an additional incision might be required over the site where it is embedded. Here, we report a case where a fragmented glass foreign body was localised and retrieved from the pre-auricular region of a 3-year-old child precisely using an intraoperative computer-assisted radio monitoring (C-arm) technique without additional incisions. We made use of an existing facial wound which was away from the actual location of the foreign body. Image-guided surgery is a technical refinement towards surgical exploration in anatomically complex regions. C-arm can be used routinely to aid surgical procedures as it is easy to use in operating rooms, technique friendly as well as cost-effective.