A Nasal Ivory Implant Eventually Penetrating the Skull Over Fifty Years Progression: A Case Report

Abstract

 Currently, silicone implants are widely used for cosmetic rhinoplasty; however, previously, other materials, including ivory obtained from elephant tusks, were used for nasal corrective surgery. We describe a patient without any history of trauma in whom a nasal ivory graft implanted 53 years prior to presentation penetrated the frontal sinus and entered the intracranial space. The ivory was stuck but not fused to the surrounding bone. We extracted the foreign body without cerebrospinal fluid leakage after gently crushing the frontal bone immediately around the implant. Postoperative computed tomography performed 8 months later revealed spontaneous ossification with closure of the defect in the frontal bone.