Migrating foreign body of the neck as a cause of recurrent febrile lymphadenopathy

Pignataro, Lorenzo; Laguardia, Margherita; Esposito, Susanna; Bosis, Samantha; Torretta, Sara; Principi, Nicola; Capaccio, Pasquale

doi:10.1016/j.pedex.2008.12.003

« Previous Next »International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology Extra
Volume 4, Issue 4 , Pages 169-172, December 2009

Migrating foreign body of the neck as a cause of recurrent febrile lymphadenopathy

Lorenzo Pignataro
- Foundation IRCCS University of Milan, Department of Specialistic Surgical Sciences, ENT Unit – Ospedale Policlinico, Mangiagalli, Regina Elena, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 0255032563.
Margherita Laguardia
- Foundation IRCCS University of Milan, Department of Specialistic Surgical Sciences, ENT Unit – Ospedale Policlinico, Mangiagalli, Regina Elena, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy
Susanna Esposito
- Institute of Pediatrics, Ospedale Policlinico, Mangiagalli, Regina Elena, Foundation IRCCS University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Samantha Bosis
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 0255032563.
Sara Torretta
- Foundation IRCCS University of Milan, Department of Specialistic Surgical Sciences, ENT Unit – Ospedale Policlinico, Mangiagalli, Regina Elena, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy
Nicola Principi
- Institute of Pediatrics, Ospedale Policlinico, Mangiagalli, Regina Elena, Foundation IRCCS University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Pasquale Capaccio
- Foundation IRCCS University of Milan, Department of Specialistic Surgical Sciences, ENT Unit – Ospedale Policlinico, Mangiagalli, Regina Elena, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy

Received 20 November 2008; accepted 4 December 2008. published online 21 January 2009.

Summary

A 15-year-old girl was referred to our Pediatric Emergency Unit because of recurrent fever associated with a painful right laterocervical mass over the previous four months, which was unresponsive to various antimicrobial therapies. During surgery, performed to obtain a biopsy, an unexpected vegetable thin fibre, about 1.2cm long, was found among the laterocervical lymph nodes. The patient subsequently experienced complete clinical remission and told us that about one month before the development of symptoms she had felt a punctory sensation in the floor of her mouth after she had been playing with a blade of grass between her lips.