Undiagnosed impacted knife blade from a penetrative orbital injury: A case report

INTRODUCTION: Impacted foreign bodies in the complex maxillofacial region is uncommon and their safe removal is a challenge. CASE PRESENTATION: The authors report an unusual case of a 41 year old male patient who suffered from violence-related orbital trauma with a knife. The presence of this foreign body was not diagnosed for a period of 20 months. After proper clinical and radiologic examination it was localized and extracted in the theater in a safe controlled manner. Although the tip of the blade was left in situ, the patient had a rapid uneventful recovery and follow up. DISCUSSION: The path of penetration of the foreign body in presented case didn't follow the predicted patterns of orbital injury described in literature. A dilemma exists as to how aggressive such injuries should be managed. Thus the surgical approach implemented for retrieving the current foreign body was highlighted. CONCLUSION: Radiographs are a crucial element for early diagnosis and proper management of foreign body injuries. Rapid postoperative recovery can be achieved with simple safe surgical retrieval maneuvers.