Long-standing intranasal foreign body: an incidental finding on dental radiograph: a case report and literature review.

A case of an incidental finding of an intranasal foreign body on a dental panoramic radiograph is reported. The foreign body, a calculus-encrusted plastic pearl, had been asymptomatic despite being present for over 20 years. The diagnosis of a nasal foreign body in a patient is of significance if an oral surgical procedure is being planned with the patient under general anesthesia because the foreign body may be dislodged into the airway during nasal intubation. Similar reports of incidentally discovered intranasal foreign bodies on dental radiographs are reviewed. The epidemiology, diagnosis, management, and complications of nasal foreign bodies are discussed.