Citation

Chan SK, Pang KY, Wong CK. Hong Kong Med. J. 2014; 20(1): 67-69.

Affiliation

Department of Neurosurgery, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Chai Wan, Hong Kong.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Hong Kong Academy of Medicine and the Hong Kong Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

24473689

Abstract

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.

Language: en