Post-Traumatic Indiscernible Foreign Body Neck - An Unusual Presentation

Penetrating foreign body in the neck should be given due diligence because of constellations of vital structures in the neck. Despite the advances in the imaging and surgical methods, penetrating injuries to head and neck with impacted foreign body still pose a challenge.1 A 22 year old male, presented with swelling and pain in the right side of neck with difficulty in speech and swallowing following RTA. On clinical examination, there were abrasions over right side of mandible and palpable mass felt below angle of mandible on right side and also in left supraclavicular area. Indirect laryngoscopy and videolaryngoscopy revealed foreign body in the right pyriform fossa pushing right cricoarytenoid unit medially. CT neck with thorax revealed presence of radiolucent foreign body measuring about 20cm without damaging the vital structures. Patient was unaware of the penetrated foreign body in his neck. Patient was taken up for emergency wound exploration. Wooden foreign body, 22 cm length was retrieved in toto. Patient recovered well without any complications.