Unusual foreign bodies in the orofacial soft tissue spaces: a report of three cases

The ingestion and inhalation of foreign bodies with their associated morbidity and mortality have been widely reported in the literature. However, reports on foreign body impaction in the orofacial region are comparatively fewer. Three unusual cases of foreign body impaction into the buccal and submasseteric spaces are presented. The three patients were adults and they presented with history of painful facial swelling associated with limited mouth opening. Plain skull radiographs revealed the foreign bodies within the facial soft tissue spaces in two patients while it was not helpful in the third patient. Surgical explorations of the left buccal, left submasseteric and the right buccal spaces led to the retrieval of the foreign bodies. Prompt diagnosis and surgical removal of such foreign bodies will greatly minimize the associated complications which may include; cellulitis, facial abscess, allergic reactions, necrotizing fasciitis and osteomyelitis.