Buttoned Shut: Management of Complete Unilateral Nasal Obstruction Secondary to Button Battery Injury

Pediatric button battery ingestion is known to cause potentially devastating injuries to the aerodigestive tract. Placement of a button battery in the nasal passages and subsequent damage it may cause poses a unique management problem as it may involve bony and membranous scarring, aesthetic irregularities, and long-term nasal obstruction. We present a case of a child with complete stenosis of the right nasal vestibule after a button battery injury. With a multidisciplinary surgical approach between an otolaryngologist and a plastic surgeon, the nasal airway patency was restored via a series of dilations and stents. The patient now has a patent right nasal airway that measures equal in diameter to the contralateral side. We conclude that in the case of a child with a button battery in the nose, repair of stenosis may be approached similarly to a case of unilateral choanal atresia, including dilations and stents.