Head and Neck ClinicA 50-year-old man visited the emergency department of our hospital with a neck injury. The blade of a grass cutter suddenly dislodged on impact and penetrated his neck. Piercing pain and mild neck discomfort followed, but there was no massive bleeding or respiratory distress. Upon physical examination, a 7-mm-sized linear skin laceration was noted at the left upper lateral neck on the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle. The foreign body was not visible but vaguely palpable under the skin.Soft tissue X-ray and computed tomography (CT) imaging of the neck were performed to clarify the existence of the foreign body. The neck soft tissue X-ray images revealed a radiopaque foreign body in the neck. The CT images also showed that the foreign body, a suspected fragment of a metal blade, was located on the lateral surface of the left SCM muscle and very close to the external jugular vein (Figure 1). Since the location of the foreign body was not sufficiently deep, an operation for foreign body removal was performed under local anesthesia by an on-call resident from the ear, nose, and throat department. A dissection was performed using a knife and a pair of forceps. Unexpectedly, the foreign body was not found in the position previously confirmed. The location of the foreign body was rechecked under X-ray guidance, which showed that the foreign body had migrated to a position higher than the initial position. A follow-up CT scan was then performed. Unlike the initial CT image, the foreign body was located in the left parapharyngeal space (Figure 2). To remove the foreign body safely, neck exploration under general anesthesia was planned. An approximately 5-cm-sized horizontal skin incision was made below the inferior border of the mandible in a skin crease. The dissection proceeded along the medial side of the submandibular gland to enter the parapharyngeal space. With gentle palpation, the foreign body was identified in a vessel, which appeared to be a retromandibular vein. The proximal and distal portions of the vein in which the foreign body was situated were clamped to prevent additional migration. A horizontal incision was performed using a No. 15 blade. A 7 mm  3 mm-sized metallic material was removed from the vascular lumen (Figure 3). The patient recovered without complications.Foreign body residue is commonly observed after penetrating neck injuries in different settings. Some small particles can