Intracranial Sewing Needles as Foreign Bodies: A Report of Two Cases.

Abstract

Penetrating brain injuries are usually the result of high-velocity accidents. However, intracranial foreign bodies can also rarely occur as a result of child abuse. Inserting a sewing needle into the brain through the sutures before the closure of fontanelles represents a particularly intriguing and relatively unknown form of attempted infanticide. In this study, we analyzed two adults who presented with an intracranial foreign body. Case 1: A 36-year-old woman presented with complaints of headache. Radiographic evaluation revealed a sewing needle lodged in her brain. Case 2: A 62-year-old man was admitted with seizures. Radiographic examination revealed three sewing needles in his brain. Both patients were managed conservatively due to the non-threatening nature of their symptoms. Several victims of needle insertion incidents go unreported. Survivors of such incidents may present with late complications. The needle is often incidentally detected during adulthood. A limited number of publications indicate that authors tend to refrain from treating asymptomatic patients. Furthermore, the related ethical concerns pose significant challenges for the physicians.