Facial trauma: a case of potentially life-threatening distracting injuries.

We report the case of a 60-year-old cyclist with multiple facial lacerations. Reassessment of the mechanism of injury and presenting clinical features of a change in voice, odynophagia, and a graze in the anterior neck triggered concern. Fibreoptic nasoendoscopy showed a large haematoma of the supraglottic airway. Scans confirmed laryngeal injuries, which were managed conservatively as an inpatient without prophylactic tracheostomy. This report emphasises the importance of a high index of suspicion in patients with such facial injuries and other subtle signs, and highlights the need for careful clinical assessment. Copyright © 2011 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation

Brian Bisase, Jiten Vadukul, Kenneth Lavery. Facial trauma: a case of potentially life-threatening distracting injuries. The British journal of oral & maxillofacial surgery. 2011 Dec;49(8):e79-81

Mesh Tags

PMID: 21612849

search → result