Chopstick splinter: A rare cause of bilateral frozen orbits

Abstract

Objective: To report an unusual case of frozen orbit caused by an unsuspected intraorbital foreign body.

Method: This is a case report.

Results: A 31-year-old Chinese man presented with a 6-month history of painless progressive right caruncular growth with mucoid discharge. He also had bilateral progressive reduction in ocular movements. His best-corrected vision was 6/9 bilaterally. A conjunctival granuloma arising from the right caruncle and extending to the cornea and associated with ophthalmoplegia was also present. Orbital computed tomography showed a dense rod-like structure traversing the nasal area, extending from the superomedial wall of the right orbit to the apex of the left orbit with surrounding inflammatory reaction but sparing the optic nerve. The intraorbital foreign body, a 6 cm chopstick splinter, was successfully removed via right lateral rhinotomy.

Conclusion: Intraorbital foreign bodies are not uncommonly seen and, generally, the diagnosis is straightforward. Nevertheless, diagnosis could be missed if it is not suspected.