2020 Volume 113 Issue 11 Pages 749-755
Oropharyngeal impalement injuries are rarely deep or complicated in children. We encountered two cases of accidental impalement injuries in children. [Case 1] A 32-month-old girl fell from a footstool with a toothbrush in her mouth. She was conscious, without any apparent neurologic or great vessel injuries. CT revealed that the toothbrush had reached the base of the middle cranial fossa. [Case 2] A 34-month-old boy fell from the chair with a fork in his mouth. Although his general condition was good, the fork had penetrated the soft palate toward the clivus. In both cases, the foreign bodies were removed in the operation room under general anesthesia. The postoperative courses in both were good. We review these cases and the management of oropharyngeal impalement injuries in children. The potentially life-threatening complications of impalement injuries in children are also discussed. We encountered two cases of accidental oropharyngeal impalement injuries in children. Both made satisfactory progress after surgical removal of the foreign bodies. Oropharyngeal impalement injuries in children are mild in most cases. But it is important to be aware of potentially serious complications of this injury and of how to appropriately manage such complications.
