Jael’s syndrome: knife blade impacted in the facial skeleton: an illustrated case report and a review of literature

Abstract

Objective: This article focuses on the penetrating trauma of the facial mass caused by the knife with retention of the blade fractured in the facial skeleton.

Case report: We describe preoperative, intra-operative and post-operative outcomes of the knife stabbing in the face, and of the surgical removal of the broken 8cm long blade using two dimensional, and tridimensional computed tomography, and clinical iconography

Conclusions: We provide the readership with a broader perspective on iatrogenic facial trauma caused by blades with examples from history of medicine, with biomechanical focus, as well as a review of literature on the management, and on the surgical treatment outcomes of such infrequent emergency in maxillofacial surgery.