A Case of Wooden Foreign Body Misinterpreted as Facial Abscess and Osteitis

안면부 농양 및 골염으로 오인된 나무 이물 1례

It is difficult to find the penetrating foreign bodies in the head and neck area only with history taking and physical examinations. One of the most important things is to detect the precise location of foreign bodies or possibly remained materials. The detection of wooden foreign bodies is important because they can cause phlegmon formation and because wood is often contaminated by Clostridium tetani bacteria. CT has proved to be an expedient method for detecting foreign bodies of various materials in soft tissues, but the wooden foreign body is often misinterpreted as a gas bubble in soft tissue. We have experienced a case of wooden foreign body which has penetrated through nasal dorsum and remained for 4 months. It had been initially misinterpreted as longstanding inflammatory lesion and osteitis of maxilla and nasal bone.