Rare case of Tooth in nose leading to loss of smell
Dr Marie Louise Moeller at Ear, Nose and Throat, University Hospital Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark and colleagues have reported a rare case of Nose blockage and loss of smell in a patient as a result of retained tooth in nasal cavity.The case has been reported in the journal BMJ Case Reports.
A man who suffered from nasal congestion and nasal blockage of left nostril which had been stuffy, drippy and was losing its ability to smell for two years.He was amazed when he was told that his symptoms were neither due to allergy,viral or bacterial infection but it was due to a retained tooth in the nasal cavity
A 59-year-old man presented to the otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) department at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark. hospital with unilateral nasal congestion and discharge. He had earlier tried usual treatment for the same including antibiotics,anti allergic treatment and steroids.
The CT scan of the man's nasal cavity showed a mass within. Credit: Copyright 2019 BMJ Case Reports
His clinical examination revealed a mass in the floor of the nasal cavity. His Sinus CT revealed a mucus-covered mass on the floor of his nasal cavity that indicated a dermoid cyst or a retained tooth one that must have been prevented from growing normally in the mouth .The mysteious lump was promptly removed by endoscopic surgery. The histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a retained tooth . At follow-up, the patient reported no nasal symptoms.
The tooth, shortly after it was pulled from the man's nose. Credit: Copyright 2019 BMJ Case Reports
A retained nasal tooth is rare occurring in just 0.1 to 1 percent of the population and more commonly in men.Sometimes, teeth can grow in a person's nose because of trauma or infections that affect either area.Developmental problems such as a cleft lip or cleft palate can also cause errant teeth to grow in the nose.Its symptoms are variable and it can resemble other diseases such as chronic rhinosinusitis. Surgical removal is recommended to confirm the diagnosis and eliminate symptoms.
The carry home message is that one should always consider this possibility when dealing with a case of chronic sinusitis.
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