A Rare Case Report of Impacted Foreign Body (Sewing Needle) in Upper Neck

THE RATIONALE: A 19-year-old female presented to the Otorhinolaryngology Department. PATIENT CONCERNS: Pain over the right side of the neck below the angle of the mandible following a fall on a pin cushion after a fight with her brother. She reported that the wound might have been caused by a sewing needle lodged in the pin cushion. DIAGNOSIS: X-ray soft-tissue neck lateral view revealed a radiopaque linear shadow on the right side of the neck at the level of the C1-C2 vertebrae. On contrast-enhanced computed tomography, a linear (needle-like) foreign body at the level of C1-C2 was approximately 1.6 cm deep from the skin. The internal jugular vein seemed to be compressed between the needle and vertebrae. TREATMENT: Foreign body was explored and removed under general anaesthesia by an open lateral cervical approach. OUTCOMES: The patient’s postoperative recovery was uneventful. TAKE-AWAY LESSON: Due to early diagnosis, management, and a team of experienced surgeons, anaesthesiologists, and support staff, any morbidity or mortality was avoided.