Unexpected nasal foreign body

Abstract

Foreign body in the nose is a common complaint in the paediatric age group and the most prevalent site of foreign body insertion compared to the ear and throat. Typical presentation involves foul-smelling unilateral nasal discharge. However, some cases are asymptomatic with no witnesses, and only discovered by medical practitioners during routine examinations. The diagnosis in this scenario becomes more challenging when another nasal pathology is present. We describe the case of a 6-year-old girl with underlying extensive infantile haemangioma of the face, tongue, neck and chest, who came for a routine follow-up, without any nasal complaints. However, the examination revealed right nasal crusting with bluish discoloration and hypertrophy of the right inferior turbinate, which was initially thought of as extension of the patient’s haemangioma. A foreign body in the right nasal cavity was noted by the girl’s parent on the next day after nasal douching, and was successfully removed in the clinical setting.