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A rare case of a glass foreign body in the parapharyngeal space: pre-operative assessment by contrast-enhanced CT and three-dimensional CT images

Department of Otolaryngology and Sensory Organ Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

*Correspondence to: Department of Otolaryngology and Sensory Organ Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. E-mail: kenomoto{at}ent.med.osaka-u.ac.jp

Received 12 November 2007; revised 8 February 2008; accepted 20 February 2008

The parapharyngeal space is an infrequent area for foreign bodies to lodge. However, the presence of trauma or inflammation near or within the space is dangerous because of its anatomical proximity to the bifurcation of the maxillary artery, carotid artery and jugular vein. We encountered a rare case, when a glass flask burst, in which intraparotid damage to the facial nerve was seen, as well as a glass foreign body lodged in the parapharyngeal space close to the above named great vessels. We emphasise the usefulness of contrast-enhanced CT and three-dimensional CT images for pre-operative evaluation of the locational relationship between the foreign body and great vessels in the parapharyngeal space.

Keywords: parapharyngeal space, foreign body, computed tomography