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Not simply a foreign body.
1Department of Oral & Maxillo-Facial Surgery, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General Teaching Hospital, U Nemocnice 2, 128 08 Prague 2, Czech Republic. foltan@email.cz
International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
|November 21, 2007
Summary
A rare case report details a living wheat grain found in a man's head, exhibiting germination without an immune response. This phenomenon may be explained by coal-tar-induced immunosuppression, preventing a typical foreign body reaction.
Area of Science:
- Medical Case Reports
- Immunology
- Plant Biology
Background:
- Foreign biological substances typically elicit severe immune reactions in the human body.
- Understanding the body's response to foreign materials is crucial in medical diagnostics and treatment.
Observation:
- A rare case involved a 35-year-old male with black coal particles and a germinating common wheat grain (Triticum aestivum L.) in the subgalea of his right parietal region.
- The patient sustained injuries 16 days prior in a motor vehicle accident.
- Microscopic examination confirmed grain germination, yet no macroscopic or microscopic signs of inflammation were present.
Findings:
- The presence of a living plant, Triticum aestivum L., within human tissue.
- Absence of any inflammatory or immune response despite the presence of a foreign, germinating biological substance.
- Microscopic verification of wheat grain germination in situ.
Implications:
- The lack of immune response suggests a potential immunosuppressive mechanism, possibly coal-tar-induced.
- This case challenges conventional understanding of foreign body reactions and immunosuppression.
- Highlights the complex interactions possible between plant life and the human body, necessitating further investigation into novel immunosuppressive pathways.
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