A man was left with half a chopstick stuck up his nostril for three weeks in an incident that has been described as a “very rare case”.
The 24-year-old patient sought assistance at a local medical centre after “colliding” with a friend while out drinking.
He complained of pain and swelling, but no evidence of a foreign body was found.
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The patient was given medicines and kept under observation, but when his condition didn’t improve, he went to the hospital.
There, the true cause of his pain was discovered, as reported by Need To Know.
Doctors ordered a CT scan and were shocked to discover a 9cm-long chopstick lodged in the patient’s nostril.
“The patient was noted to have pain and swelling in the left orbit, without abnormalities in the eye movement or losing vision,” the Journal in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Cases reads.
“Ophthalmologic examination revealed 10/10 vision, with no signs of global injury.
“However, the left eye was swollen and there was a discharge of pus from the corner of the left eye.
“The patient complained of pain, suggesting that the condition could be serious and required prompt intervention.”
The patient subsequently had surgery to remove the chopstick and doctors treated the damage it had done to the bottom of his eye socket.
He was also given antibiotics to treat any potential infection.
The report added: “The foreign body in this case (a chopstick) was not clean, as it had been used during a meal, potentially causing infection in the maxillary sinus and orbit.”
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