"Thought It Was a Headache" Vietnamese Man Lives with Chopsticks Stuck in Skull

Published 30 Nov.2023 15:20(KST)

Suffering from Tension-Type Cephalalgia with Headaches for Five Months

A pair of chopsticks was discovered in the skull of a Vietnamese man who had been suffering from headaches for five months, drawing attention.

Chopsticks found in the skull of a Vietnamese man. <br>[Photo by Daily Mail]

Chopsticks found in the skull of a Vietnamese man.
[Photo by Daily Mail]

According to reports from major media on the 28th (local time), a man in his 30s recently underwent surgery at Cuba Hospital in the Dong Hoi area of Vietnam to remove a piece of chopstick embedded in his skull. The man had been experiencing severe headaches, vision loss, and discharge from his eyes and nose for about five months.

CT scans at the hospital confirmed that the chopstick lodged in the man's nose had penetrated into his skull.

As a result, the man was suffering from "tension pneumocephalus." Pneumocephalus is a condition where gas or air accumulates inside the cranial cavity along with the brain, meninges, cerebral blood vessels, and cerebrospinal fluid. Causes include skull fractures, infections, surgery, and sudden changes in atmospheric pressure. When the pressure of gas inside the cranial cavity increases, it compresses the brain, causing headaches, dizziness, sensory abnormalities, localized paralysis, and decreased consciousness.

The medical team removed the chopstick embedded in the man's nose and head through endoscopic surgery. Subsequently, additional surgery was performed to treat an arteriovenous fistula (an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein).

According to the man's family, about five months ago, he was injured in a fight while intoxicated and received emergency treatment for facial injuries. However, the man, who was heavily drunk at the time, could not remember anything except that someone had stabbed his face with an unknown object. The medical staff who provided emergency care five months ago reportedly did not discover the chopstick lodged in his nose.