Unusual migration of a tooth root into the ethmoid sinus after dental extraction: a case report and literature review

Iatrogenic foreign bodies of dental origin are rare and frequently involve the maxillary sinuses. We report an unusual case of tooth-root migration into the ethmoid sinus after dental extraction. A 54-year-old woman with a history of maxillary left molar extraction 6 months prior presented with symptoms of left nasal obstruction, green malodorous nasal discharge, hyposmia, and left-sided facial pressure for 3 months. She was diagnosed with unilateral sinusitis, and nasal endoscopy revealed severe left middle meatus edema with thick pus discharge. Computed tomography of the paranasal sinuses revealed a radiopaque foreign body in the left anterior ethmoid sinus with complete opacification of the left paranasal sinuses. The tooth root was extracted transnasally via functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Complete symptom resolution was achieved postoperatively. Sinonasal foreign bodies can cause sinusitis owing to mucosal irritation. Endoscopic extraction is an optimal treatment owing to its short operative time and reduced perioperative morbidity.