Transoral impalement injury in a child: An unusual case

Foreign bodies are often encountered by oral and maxillofacial surgeons and may present a diagnostic challenge due to many factors such as nature of foreign body material, the size of the object, difficult access and a close anatomical relationship of the foreign body to vital structures. We present an unusual case of a penetrating injury by a large metallic bar (15.0 cm) in a 5 year old child, embedded on the right side of the oral cavity. Penetrating injuries by blunt objects are a rare finding in maxillofacial region. In this case, we discuss the clinical presentation, diagnosis, surgical treatment and draw attention to this very rare situation.