Overlooked nasal foreign body with a 48-year latent period

Abstract

Foreign bodies of the nose are relatively frequent in pediatric population, while in the adults, they are usually seen in disturbed persons. Overlooked nasal foreign bodies may be singled out as a special entity. They become rhinolites over time with latent period of several decades. Our paper illustrates an overlooked foreign body in the nose--i.e. encrusted plastic bead which, after the asymptomatic period of 48 years, induced the unilateral mucopurulent and ichorous secretion from the nose. Rhinolite should be suspected if radiological diagnostics detected calcified mass in the nose together with unilateral nasal symptomatology. Surgical removal of rhinolite results in complete management of such problem. This case indicates the significance of medical history data and examination of nasal cavity in any adult patient with unilateral nasal symptomatology which is refractory to conservative treatment. Computerized tomography of paranasal sinuses is an important adjunct diagnostic tool in indefinite cases. Nevertheless, it often happens that only the extraction of rhinolite indicates the diagnosis that is not usually suspected in adult persons.