Plastic stuck inside 10-year-old boy’s nostril for two years removed

Foreign body caused foul-smelling nasal discharge, bad breath

Al Mushrif Children’s Specialty Centre, managed by Ambulatory Healthcare Services, a SEHA facility, has successfully treated a 10-year-old boy with a plastic piece lodged in the nasal cavity.

The child had been experiencing a foulsmelling nasal discharge and bad breath for the past two years, while suffering from recurrent Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) during this time. Having visited multiple medical facilities, both regionally and abroad, the common diagnosis alluded to unhealthy dental hygiene.

The constant foul odour from the child’s nose and mouth began to adversely affect his psychological state as he was ostracised during social gatherings with family and friends.

The patient visited Al Mushrif Children’s Specialty Centre this summer, hoping to find the root cause of the symptoms. Dr Mai Naif Al Shoufi, ENT Specialist, conducted a preliminary nasal examination which did not reveal any reason for the blockage in the right nostril, or cause for the smell.

Procedure with complications

She proceeded to conduct an endoscopy of the nose which showed a large object trapped deep in the child’s right nostril. The doctor immediately removed the foreign object which turned out to be a piece of plastic.

The team managed to retrieve the object without any complications. The child was soon able to breathe comfortably from both his nostrils and left Al Mushrif Children’s Specialty Center feeling ecstatic about the results.