Nasal Foreign Body Following a Beach Vacation

Figure

a) Foreign body; b) Axial computed tomography of the midface

A 59-year-old male patient presented due to a suspected nasal foreign body. He had recently returned from a vacation to the Red Sea (Hurghada, Egypt). While there, he had been struck on the right side of the nose by a fish jumping out the water. This caused a heavy nosebleed. In Egypt, the wound on the right nasal slope was closed with sutures and computed tomography imaging performed. Our examination revealed toothed foreign bodies piercing the right endonasal region of the nasal septum. Uncomplicated removal was performed. An expert assessment carried out by the Maritime Museum in Stralsund, Germany, revealed the foreign body to be the lower jaw of a relative of the houndfish (most likely Tylosurus crocodilus). These fish can jump out of the water at speeds of up to 60 km/h. There are isolated case reports in the literature of injuries to the head and neck region, some even involving destruction of nerve structures.

Dr. med. Clemens Hock, Prof. Dr. med. Holger Kaftan, Dr. med. Timo Moritz, Klinik für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde, HELIOS Klinikum Erfurt, [e-mail]

Conflict of interest statement: The authors state that no conflict of interest exists.

Translated from the original German by Christine Rye.

Cite this as: Hock C, Kaftan H, Moritz T: Nasal foreign body following a beach vacation. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2025; 122: 172a. DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2024.0248