Large intraorbital transnasal wooden foreign body sparing vital structures

Abstract

Orbital foreign bodies are not uncommon but a large wooden foreign body involving ipsilateral orbit, nasal cavity and opposite maxilla is not only rare but potentially vision threatening and can be life threatening too. A 43-year-old gentleman presented with injury to his left eye with a tree branch while riding a motorcycle. Examination revealed a left upper eyelid laceration with a hard wooden foreign body lodged between supraorbital rim and upper eyelid, ipsilateral ptosis and periorbital oedema. CT scan showed a transnasal intraorbital foreign body extending from left orbit medially towards opposite maxilla. Exploration was done under general anesthesia and a large linear wooden foreign body measuring 11.5 x 2 x 1.5 cm3 was removed from left orbit without any evidence of damage to vital structures. This is one of the largest reported intraorbital wooden foreign body to the best of our knowledge, hence the report.

Keywords

• foreign body
• intraorbital
• transnasal
• wooden