A Case of Silent Foreign Body after Neck Injury

A 22-year-old male was found to have a painless mass in the right lateral cervical region. He has a history of neck injury by glass fragments and underwent the removal of pieces glasses seven years ago. A plain X-ray and CT scan of the neck showed a radiopaque mass adjacent to the internal jugular vein. He was diagnosed as having a glass foreign body which had migrated from the time of the past neck injury, and the glass fragment was surgically removed. As the neck is an anatomically very important region containing a great many vessels, cranial nerves and aerodigestive tracts, it is necessary to identify damage and all foreign bodies in cases of neck injury. Radiological studies such as a plain X-ray and CT scan as well as ultrasound studies are very useful in identifying foreign bodies such as glass fragments.