A Plastic Torpedo-Shaped Firecracker That Caused Injury to the Parotid Gland: A Case Report

Penetrating injuries affecting the parotid gland are relatively rare compared to injuries affecting other head and neck structures. Likewise, foreign bodies impacting the parotid gland are extremely rare. These foreign bodies can be secondary to penetrating injury or may reach the parotid gland by retrograde migration through Stensen's duct. Management of parotid gland foreign bodies is a challenging clinical situation for otolaryngologists due to the course of the facial nerve through the gland. In this article, a patient with penetrating parotid injury as a result of the explosion of a torpedo-shaped firecracker is presented. This object's injury to the parotid gland is presented for the first time in the literature. In addition, the importance of detailed physical examination was emphasized, as foreign bodies may embed under the skin in such injuries.