We report the case of a 4-year old girl who was admitted to our ENT outpatient clinic with a cervical neck mass without other signs and symptoms. The patients history revealed, that she had previously been treated several times for odynophagia with cervical tumescence within the last two month. Symptoms and swelling disappeared temporally after the antibiotic treatments. However, the cervical mass rapidly reappeared after the end of the treatment. Otolaryngological examination showed no particularity, beside a firm lateral cervical mass. A cervical CT scan (Fig ) revealed a deep subcutaneous collection, suggesting the presence of an cervical abscess. Potential infectious origins such as the tonsils, the salivary glands, teeth or the facial skin were calm. Despite an intravenous antibiotic treatment with decrease of the cervical mass, an ultrasound control 10 days later showed a persistent subcutaneous liquid collection. We then opted for incision and drainage of this collection. The drainage and cleaning of the abscess cavity unearthed a blade of grass within the purulent discharge (Fig ).\nReviewing the patients history, the parents suddenly recalled she had complained of a transitory foreign body feeling during several days after chewing a blade of grass two months ago. Follow-up showed no further recurrence of the neck swelling.
A 2-year-old female patient with history of sewing needle ingestion about three months back followed by mild intermittent abdominal pain. The child was followed in another hospital for but the foreign body was not expelled spontaneously. A plain abdominal X-ray on arrival showed a radiopaque foreign body (sewing needle) in the lower abdominal quadrant on the midline (). The foreign body was palpable by rectal examination; however, it could not be observed by proctoscopy performed under general anesthesia. Thus, considering that the foreign body might have migrated outside of the lumen, a mini-laparotomy procedure was performed. The sewing needle was observed in the sigmoid mesocolon and removed by opening a small window into the mesocolon (). Child had a recovery and no problems were observed during the 3-month follow-up of the patient.