[Cervical perforating foreign body: case report]

Neck perforations by foreign bodies are uncommon. The surgical approach depends on the extension of visceral wounds and the development of cervical or mediastinal infection.

The objective of this paper is to report a neck perforation trauma by a piece of wire, with associated laryngeal and hypopharyngeal wounds and extensive cervico-mediastinal emphysema. Anatomic and clinical correlations are discussed, as well as the management of the case.

A 28-year-old male patient suffered a perforating trauma in his neck by a piece of wire. This foreign body was laid in the retropharyngeal space, at the level of the sixth cervical vertebra, after perforating the larynx and hypopharynx. There are no similar cases previously reported. The imaging tests are presented. Despite the potential severity of the lesions, the patient had a favorable outcome, and no surgical approach was necessary.

This case illustrates, by the imaging tests, the complex anatomy of the cervical fasciae and deep neck spaces, and confirms the possibility of conservative management in a great number of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal traumatic lesions.