[Case report: a traumatic facial paralysis caused by a fish].

BACKGROUND

Due to the increase in worldwide tourism more and more unusual injuries are observed.

CASE: We report on a patient who was diving near the Maledives, where a fish weighing 30 kg collided with his head. Four to five hours later he suffered from paralysis of the facial nerve. During an operation performed after his return a part of the jaw of the fish was removed from the retromandibular fossa. The fish jaw had compressed the facial nerve.

RESULT: Three months later the function of the nerve was normal again.

CONCLUSION

Even simple accidents require a detailed patient history and the use of computed tomography. This made it possible to determine the cause of this unusual facial paralysis and cure the patient.