A Rare Penetrating Trauma of Both Orbit and Nasal Cavity

Diagnosis of orbital foreign body (FB) penetration is usually obvious when part of the FB is still attached at the entry wound (1). However, the depth and course of the FB in this case was not visible.

A 5-year old female presented with a pencil penetrating the left orbit. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed that the pencil penetrated the left orbit (extraseptal) through the lacrimal bone to the left nasal cavity, then perforated the nasal septum, crossing the right nasal cavity. Finally, the pencil penetrated the lamina paperatea to the right orbit and stopped near the right optic nerve. The pencil was gently removed under general anesthesia with close observation of the eyes.

A case of a pencil penetrating both orbits and nasal cavities was reported, and the pencil was safely removed. This draws attention to the possible penetration power of a pencil, with the possibility of injury to the orbit and optic nerve on the opposite side of the penetration. It also demonstrates the feasibility of safe removal.