Facio-cervical transfixion by a metallic rod: a case report.
Foreign bodies penetrating into the neck may cause extensive neurovascular and aerodigestive tract injuries. Facio-cervical transfixion by a metallic rod without such injuries is very rare. The patient presented in this article reported to our center 5 hours after the road traffic accident with impacted hollow metallic rod traversing through the tongue, pharynx, and neck after causing fracture to maxilla. Exploration under general anesthesia after tracheostomy resulted in an uneventful extraction of the metallic rod. Postoperatively, the patient recovered completely and had no neurologic deficits. [Editorial comment: This case report demonstrates an approach to an extremely difficult and potentially dangerous clinical problem. The authors decision to forego angiography is based on physical examination with evidence of palpable flow in the superficial temporal artery.]
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, St John's Medical College Hospital, Bangalore-560 034, India.
S
S
Shetty
S
S
Gupta
Balasubramanya
S
S
Hasan
M
M
Cherian
Srikrishna
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D014139:Tracheostomy