• Thiti Samuthrat, Ke Ye, and Ying Tong.
• Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
• World Neurosurg. 2017 Jul 1; 103: 952.e11-952.e17.

BackgroundTransoral penetrating injury from a blunt-tipped chopstick is unusual and should be promptly dealt with because it is associated with high morbidity and mortality.Case DescriptionWe report a case of a 2-year-old girl who sustained a transoral penetrating brain injury after falling onto a bamboo chopstick, which penetrated through the hard palate and eventually led to middle skull base fracture as well as temporal lobe laceration and contusion. The chopstick was successfully extracted via a transoral approach followed by administration of empirical antibiotics and anticonvulsants. The postoperative course was uneventful, and a 2-year follow-up evaluation revealed a favorable outcome.ConclusionsPreoperative and postoperative imaging and extensive monitoring of the patient's condition are mandatory for evaluation of possible development of complications. An optimal result can be obtained by a tailored management and treatment approach for each specific patient.Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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