Beware of chicken bones: An uncommon presentation of a foreign body in the palate

Abstract

This paper describes a case of an intra-osseous foreign body impaction in the hard palate, a chicken bone fragment, in an adult male. The presentation mimicked that of an odontogenic lesion. Though palatal soft tissue foreign bodies in toddlers are well reported, the literature is sparse on cases involving adults. The location of the foreign body, and radiographic presentation, resulted in a diagnostic challenge to the attending clinician. This appears to be the first reported case of an animal bone presenting in this way in an adult. CPD/Clinical Relevance: The case highlights the importance of credible history reporting, 3D imaging and developing accurate differentials in the diagnostic pathway when faced with an atypical clinical presentation.