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Ultrasound guided removal of an airgun pellet from a patient's right cheek

¹Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Barts and the London NHS Trust, Dental Institute, Royal London Hospital, UK; ²University of Queen Mary Dental School, Royal London Hospital, UK

*Correspondence to: E Grammatopoulos, Senior House Officer in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Barts and the London NHS Trust, Dental Institute, Royal London Hospital, London E1 1BB, UK; E-mail: ektorinos{at}hotmail.com

Received 12 November 2007; revised 22 December 2007; accepted 29 December 2007

This case report describes the use of real-time intraoperative ultrasonography to guide the removal of an airgun pellet embedded in the right cheek of a 20-year-old man. This patient had previously undergone two unsuccessful surgical attempts to have this pellet removed via blind exploration. Through the use of ultrasonography, the pellet's positional relationship throughout the procedure was accurately defined with respect to important soft and hard anatomical structures, as well as to the surgical instruments used, enabling its very efficient removal. This technique is safe, easy, cost effective and accurate, and thus minimizes post-operative morbidity and the risk of surgical complications.

Keywords: ultrasound; guided; foreign body; pellet