Orbitocranial wooden foreign body: a pre-, intra-, and postoperative chronicle: case report

Intraorbital wooden foreign bodies--usually from a low-velocity puncture--are elusive and demand a low threshold for further imaging. In patients with traumatic injuries, orbital and intracranial air from fractures may be present, and it is particularly easy to overlook a wooden fragment

A 53-year-old equestrian was kicked in the face by the rear hoof of a horse. The event was captured on video by her husband. Although no obvious entry point in and around the eye was observed, her ocular examination was notable for superior orbital fissure syndrome and increasing intraocular pressure in the left eye. Closer inspection revealed a 5-mm laceration above her superior lid margin; imaging revealed a foreign body at the orbital apex with apparent communication with the cranial vault.

We proceeded with cranio-orbital exploration because of the risk of continued ocular damage in the setting of increasing intraocular pressure and the potential for infection of both the eye and the intracranial space from a suspected foreign body. A 3.0 cm x 0.5 cm fragment was found lodged in the orbital apex and removed.

The patient recovered well after surgery and a course of antibiotics and has returned to riding. This case report presents an algorithm for approaching cranio-orbital foreign objects of unclear identity and the favorable outcomes that may be achieved.