title: Ultrasound guided removal of an airgun pellet from a patient's right cheek.
abstract: This case report describes the use of real-time intraoperative ultrasonography to guide the removal of an airgun pellet embedded in the right cheek of a 20-year-old man. This patient had previously undergone two unsuccessful surgical attempts to have this pellet removed via blind exploration. Through the use of ultrasonography, the pellet's positional relationship throughout the procedure was accurately defined with respect to important soft and hard anatomical structures, as well as to the surgical instruments used, enabling its very efficient removal. This technique is safe, easy, cost effective and accurate, and thus minimizes post-operative morbidity and the risk of surgical complications.
authors.affiliation: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Barts and the London NHS Trust, Dental Institute, Royal London Hospital, London E1 1BB, UK. ektorinos@hotmail.com
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grammatopoulos
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Murtadha
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Makdissi
mesh_terms: D002610:Cheek / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D004210:Dissection / Q000379:methods; D005246:Feedback; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult