Rare case of random cyanoacrylate glue application to the nose of a 4-year-old girl – management proposal

Abstract

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (“superglues”) are mainly used in households. They undergo a rapid anionic polymerisation after application and form a hard solid mass. We report a case of a 4-year-old girl who applied a random cyanoacrylate glue to her nose. The glue was successfully removed under general anaesthesia by gentle dissection using Freer raspatory without causing any damage to the nasal mucosa. To the best of our knowledge, only 3 cases of cyanoacrylate intranasal instillation have been published in the literature so far. The case study suggests an algorithm to guide ENT and paediatric clinicians in the future management of this type of unusual “superglue” injury in the ENT region. Key words cyanoacrylate glue – foreign body – superglue removal – management algorithm