A Wooden Foreign Body in the Left Jaw Joint in an Infant: A Case Report

Abstract

Wooden foreign bodies are often overlooked by plain X-ray examinations at the initial diagnosis because of their radiolucency. A 1-year-old girl fell down and injured her left cheek while holding wooden chopsticks, and a chopstick became stuck in her left cheek. She was taken to the emergency department of our hospital after it was removed. The tip of the chopstick was fractured; however, no residual foreign body could be detected by plain X-ray examination and ultrasonography. Two days later, she consulted our hospital again owing to the development of fever and loss of appetite. To investigate the existence of a residual wooden foreign body, computed tomography (CT) was carried out and a three-dimensional CT image was reconstructed. The foreign body was detected as a high-density region in the left jaw joint. The foreign body was subsequently removed by surgery performed under general anesthesia. She showed slight facial paralysis after the operation, but this improved within a few days. She was discharged after 7 days. Wooden foreign bodies are often difficult to detect by X-ray examinations because of their radiolucency. If a residual foreign body is suspected, then CT and 3D reconstruction are recommended for detection.