Foreign Bodies in a Facial Wound: A Case Report and Review of Relevant Literature

Abstract

Objective: Retained foreign bodies in soft tissue wounds are common phenomena with an incidence of 38%;
they are usually missed on initial evaluation. In the oro-facial region, retained foreign body within the
masseter muscle is a relatively rare occurrence. The objective was to report a case of symptomatic retained
foreign body within the masseter muscle
Case Description: Presented here is a case of a 24-year-old female who presented with left sided facial pain
and difficulty in mouth opening following a history of facial trauma and treatment. The aetiology was fall in a
flooded environment in an otherwise healthy individual. Treatment was said to be debridement and wound
closure. Whereas the external wound healed satisfactorily, patient presented with two weeks later with pain
and trismus. Investigation with plain radiographs revealed radiopaque foreign bodies. Following
exploration, pieces of glasses of various sizes were recovered.
Conclusion: This case is serve as a reminder to practitioners of the importance of diligent exploration of skin
and soft tissue wounds for possible foreign bodies. Secondly, the importance of immediate post trauma
images to rule out embedded foreign bodies in tissues is brought to the fore.