A very special case came to light where a Vietnamese man who experienced a severe headache for five months was flabbergasted after knowing that he had a pair of chopsticks stuck in his skull.
According to a report in The Metro, the 35-year-old man was rushed to the hospital on November 25 after suffering from multiple headaches as well as fluid discharge and fluid loss.
After conducting CT scans, it was found that the man was suffering from tension pneumocephalus. It is a rare but potentially life-threatening neurological condition characterized by a hazardous increase in intracranial pressure. Pneumocephalus is defined as the presence of air in the epidural, subdural, or subarachnoid space within the brain parenchyma or ventricular cavities. It is also known as pneumatocele or intracranial aerocele. 1
Further examinations disclosed that the unusual cause of the man's headache was a pair of chopsticks that had reportedly entered through his nose and reached his brain.
Department of Neurosurgery Head Dr. Nguyen Van Man described the case as "very rare."
As reported by Viet Nam News, initially puzzled by the presence of chopsticks in his brain, he recalled that he had been involved in a fight five months earlier while drinking in Vietnam. The details of the fight were obscure in his memory, but he recalled being stabbed in the face with an unknown object.
However, after reporting to the hospital after the incident, the doctors didn't find anything unusual inside his nose or abnormalities in his nose. Upon reflection, the bewildered patient speculated that he may have been stabbed in the nose with the food forceps during the fight, and he believes the forceps remained undiscovered in his skull until recently.
Luckily, doctors were able to successfully remove the chopsticks through endoscopic surgery performed through the nose. After that, microsurgery was done to seal the fistula, an abnormal connection between the artery and vein in the brain and spinal cord tissue.
The patient is said to be in stable condition and in recovery. Now he awaits discharge from the hospital.
Reference:
1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535412/
(Input from various media sources)
(Rehash/Komal Bhoi)