Foreign Body, Nasal

Basics

Object impacted in the nasal cavity
Most common site of foreign body insertion in children
Type of foreign body limited only by nostril size
Can be missed and remain for weeks or months
Usually located at the floor of the inferior turbinate or anterior to the middle turbinate
Population at risk:
- Children between 2–6 yr most common
- Mental retardation
- Psychiatric illness
Causes of worsening impaction and difficulties with removal:
- Organic material may expand if moistened
- Mucosal swelling over time
Complications:
- Sinusitis is the most common complication
- Foreign bodies may migrate into the sinuses
- Septal perforation
- Bronchial aspiration
- High risk of complications with button batteries:
  - Mucosa ischemia
  - Turbinate or septal damage
  - Saddle-nose deformity

Organic vs. inorganic
Food
Beans
Seeds
Beads
Rocks
Paper
Pieces of toys
Sponge pieces
Vegetable matter
Insects and live worms (rare)
Button batteries:
- High risk of complications compared with other foreign bodies (tissue necrosis, septal perforation, saddle-nose deformity); require rapid removal
- Septal perforation can occur in as little as 4 hr
Magnets:
- Used to mimic nasal piercing
- Often imbedded in nasal tissue, leading to difficult removal
- May cause intestinal perforation if swallowed, especially newer high-power neodymium magnets
Glass fragments

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