Childhood Nasal Foreign Bodies: Analysis of 1724 Cases

This study evaluates the characteristics of the foreign bodies removed from the nose, the treatment methods used, and the complications associated with the foreign body, and discusses the reports in the literature.

Age, gender, type of foreign body, side of nose, clinical symptoms, complaints, diagnosis and treatment methods were retrospectively evaluated in all 1724 pediatric patients with foreign bodies.

Of the 1724 patients, 841 (48.7%) were female and 883 (51.3%) were male. Their mean age was 4.3±3.06 years (age range: 4 months-16 years). Foreign body was found on the right side in 928 (53.8%), on the left-side in 768 (44.5%) and bilaterally in 28 (1.6%) patients. The foreign bodies were inorganic substances such as beads, paper, napkins, toy parts, batteries, pencils, erasers in 1287 cases (74.7%) and organic materials such as hazelnuts, walnuts and fruit seeds in 437 cases (25.3%). The foreign bodies were extracted in outpatient settings in 1709 cases. Fifteen patients in whom the foreign body was located in the posterior region and/or who were uncooperative were treated under anesthesia. The most common complication was epistaxis. Septal perforation was seen in one patient with alkaline battery.

In pediatric patients presented to the otolaryngology and the pediatrics clinics with complaints involving nasal obstruction, unilateral purulent nasal discharge, epistaxis, and foul odor, possibility of a foreign body in the nose should be kept in mind.