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Published on: September 18, 2011
A Case Involving Needles in the Medulla Oblongata, Cervical Spinal Cord, and Abdomen
Hao-Yu Zhang1, Da Li1, Zhen Wu1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
It is extremely rare to encounter intracranial foreign bodies caused by penetrating injuries other than gunshot wounds or low-velocity wounds. We present a case describing a 5-year-old girl with metallic foreign bodies in the medulla oblongata, cervical spinal cord, and abdomen. The foreign bodies may have been there and remained silent for several years until the patient developed nausea and vomiting that persisted for 3 months. A craniotomy and a laparotomy were performed after a thorough discussion. Five pieces of metallic foreign bodies were removed, and the patient had a good outcome. Despite the precarious location of the needles in the medulla oblongata and cervical spinal cord, this rare case supports the use of surgery to remove the foreign bodies.
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