Transnasal penetrating intracranial injury with a chopstick.
We report the first case of a transnasal penetrating intracranial injury in Hong Kong by a chopstick. A 49-year-old man attempted suicide by inserting a wooden chopstick into his left nose and then pulled it out. The chopstick caused a transnasal penetrating brain injury, confirmed by contrast magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. He was managed conservatively. Later he developed meningitis without a brain abscess and was prescribed antibiotics for 6 weeks. He enjoyed a good neurological recovery. This case illustrates that clinician should have a high index of suspicion for penetrating intracranial injury due to a nasally inserted foreign body, even though it had already been removed. In such cases moreover, brain magnetic resonance imaging is the imaging modality of choice, as it can delineate the path of penetration far better than plain computed tomography.
Department of Neurosurgery, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Chai Wan, Hong Kong.
S K
SK
Chan
K Y
KY
Pang
C K
CK
Wong
D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000209:etiology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003297:Cooking and Eating Utensils; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008581:Meningitis / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009666:Nose; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000175:diagnosis*
Craniocerebral trauma; Foreign bodies; Magnetic resonance imaging