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Sino-orbital foreign body caused by a slingshot injury in a young boy
  1. Kenneth Lai1,
  2. Juliet Laycock1,
  3. Adam Bates2 and
  4. Julian Hamann1
  1. 1ENT, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Tunbridge Wells, UK
  2. 2Ophthalmology, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Maidstone, UK
  1. Correspondence to Kenneth Lai; k.lai{at}doctors.org.uk

Abstract

Slingshots or hand catapults, historically used as a military or hunting weapon, are common toys among children and young teenagers. Their use can be dangerous as a strike to the eye or orbit can result in significant injuries including blindness. We describe a rare case of a sino-orbital foreign body caused by a slingshot injury in a young boy. The case was managed by a multidisciplinary team involving ear, nose and throat, ophthalmology and paediatrics, and the foreign body of a metal ball bearing was removed using an endoscopic transnasal approach. Although the patient made a good recovery, the case highlights the danger of slingshot devices misused by children.

  • Ear, nose and throat/otolaryngology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Paediatrics
  • Otolaryngology / ENT

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Footnotes

  • Contributors KL led in writing of the manuscript, with assistance of JL, AB and JH. AB and JH were the consultants in charge of the care of the patient.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.