Cyanoacrylate (“Superglue”) Injury to the Nasal Cavity: Case Report and a Proposed Management Algorithm

Abstract

We report the case of a deliberate application of cyanoacrylate adhesive (commonly called "superglue") to the nose of a 9-year-old boy during a fi ght. The glue was successfully removed under general anesthesia without causing trauma to the nasal mucosa. To the best of our knowledge, only 1 other case of cyanoacrylate injury to the nasal cavity has been published in the literature. We also provide an algorithm to guide clinicians in the future management of this unusual circumstance.

Deliberate self-harming application of superglue in the nose: case report and literature review

“…Two case reports of self-inflicted application of glue in the nose have been described in the literature. Specifically, one paper reported the non-accidental application of superglue in the nose of a nine-year-old by another minor 11 and another reported the accidental application of superglue in the nose by the patient, who mistook the bottle for steroid nasal drops 10 . In both cases, the glue was removed by surgical debridement under general anaesthesia in light of patient discomfort 10 , 11 …”

“…10 In both cases, the glue was removed by surgical debridement under general anaesthesia in light of patient discomfort. 10,11 Acetone has been used successfully to remove superglue from the ear in three cases, 1,6,7 while Persaud used hydrogen peroxide successfully to remove glue from the ear. 2 The glue was surgically removed in the remaining cases.…”

“…Applications of superglue in the ear, 1-9 nose 10,11 and oral cavity 12,13 have been reported previously. To the best of our knowledge, only two cases of superglue application in the nose have been described: one was accidental 10 and one was non-accidental.…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, only two cases of superglue application in the nose have been described: one was accidental 10 and one was non-accidental. 11 We report the case of deliberate self-application of superglue to both nostrils and present our method of management.…”

Inadvertent tissue adhesive tarsorrhaphy of the eyelid: a review and exploratory trial of removal methods of Histoacryl

“…The risk of injury from the use of tissue adhesives is low, but there have been a growing number of case reports of inadvertent tissue adhesive injury involving the ear, nose, urethra and, most commonly, the eye 1–4. In our own centre, a recent incident resulted in a latex glove being glued to a patient’s eyelid, and remedying it required intervention by an ophthalmologist, removal of the patient’s eye lashes as well as an 8-hour extension of ED stay.…”