Transoral Intracranial Injury via Middle Skull Base by a Blunt Chopstick in a Child

Abstract

Background: Transoral penetrating injury from a blunt-tipped chopstick is unusual and should be promptly dealt with because it is associated with high morbidity and mortality.

Case description: We report a case of a 2-year-old girl who sustained a transoral penetrating brain injury after falling onto a bamboo chopstick, which penetrated through the hard palate and eventually led to middle skull base fracture as well as temporal lobe laceration and contusion. The chopstick was successfully extracted via a transoral approach followed by administration of empirical antibiotics and anticonvulsants. The postoperative course was uneventful, and a 2-year follow-up evaluation revealed a favorable outcome.

Conclusions: Preoperative and postoperative imaging and extensive monitoring of the patient's condition are mandatory for evaluation of possible development of complications. An optimal result can be obtained by a tailored management and treatment approach for each specific patient.

Keywords: Chopstick injury; Middle skull base; Pediatrics; Penetrating craniocerebral injury.