Turkish Neurosurgery
2007 , Vol 17 , Num 2
Intracranial Foreing Body
Ministry of Health Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Dept. of Neurosurgery, Ankara, Turkey
Intracranial foreign bodies due to nonmissile intracranial penetrations occur
rarely. Most of these penetrating injuries result from industrial accidents or
criminal assaults. The complications which cause mortality in early stage are
intracerebral hemorrhage, contusion, major vascular injury and meningitis. In
case of such injuries, foreign bodies near the major vascular structures should
not be attempted to taken out. Total excision of the foreign body via craniotomy
should be planned and possible dural and vascular injuries should be repaired
during surgery. Urgent surgery should be performed as there is 53% morbidity
in case of late surgery and 62% morbidity in nonoperated cases. We herein
report a 20-year old man who attempted suicide by introducing a nail into his
brain and review the related literature.
Keywords :
Intracranial, Trauma, Penetrating, Foreign body