Orbitocranial penetrating injury by a metallic foreign body

Abstract

Orbitocranial penetrating injuries (OPI) represent a rare type of head injuries encountered in clinical practice. These appear after falls or motor vehicle accidents and are more frequent among children. We present the case of a male patient with OPI, associated with large frontal hemorrhagic contusion, with minimal periorbital trauma findings related to brain injury. Knowing and understanding the clinical anatomy of the orbit and the patterns of injuries in OPI are mandatory, since failure in detecting intracranial complications may lead to the increase of the neurological morbidity, visual loss and death.

Keywords

• orbitocranial penetrating injury
• orbital roof fractures
• transorbital penetrating brain injury
• visual acuity loss