Unusual presentation of 42 foreign bodies in a child's maxilla.

The diagnosis of foreign bodies (such as radiolucent bristles) in the maxillary sinus, particularly in a child, is difficult. We report an unusual case of a 9-year-old boy who presented with 42 bristles in his left maxillary sinus. The presence of these foreign bodies was noted only during operation for removal of nasal polyps. All the foreign bodies were removed at the same operation. The route of entry of the foreign bodies was found to be a rare self-inflicted oroantral fistula in the interdental region of the upper premolar and molar teeth. Copyright 2010 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.