Clinical and anatomical aspects of cavernous sinus thrombosis associated to nasal piercing

Abstract

Introduction: body piercings are used on a large scale around the world as a form of body art, communication, self-affirmation, and cultural identification, either by young people or adults. Nevertheless, they are not a harmless procedure and severe complications can occur after a body piercing.Objective: this study aimed to provide an anatomoclinical report of the case of a twenty-six-year-old woman who suffered from an infection caused by a nose piercing that evolved into cavernous sinus thrombosis.Case report: a 26-year-old female patient, with a nasal wing piercing, was admitted with a persistent febrile condition, headaches, pain, and retrobulbar pressure for three days. Physical examination showed redness and local pain, nasal, upper lip, and infraorbital edema, proptosis with a slight projection of the right eyeball, partial obstruction of the ipsilateral nostril, fetid and purulent exudate with streaks of blood drained spontaneously through the piercing orifice, mild dyspnea, and prostration. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed thickening of the cavernous sinus with visualization of hyperdense tissue on CT and hyperintense signal on MRI compatible with cavernous sinus thrombosis on the right side. After the removal of the piercing and clinical treatment, the outcome was favorable. Conclusion: given the present case and discussion, it is mandatory to call attention to the risks that the placement of piercings can bring to an individual’s health. Piercings are potential causes of infections and adverse complications, which can generate irreversible sequelae and even cause death.