The tin whistle: a rare and serious cause of penetrating oropharyngeal trauma in children.

Impalement injuries of the oral cavity are common in children and the potential for serious complications including internal carotid artery thrombosis can be unnoticed. We present a patient who sustained a penetrating injury in which a "tin whistle" caused herniation of the parotid gland which was not detected on clinical examination. We discuss the challenging clinical examination, the role of investigations, and consequences of these injuries aiming at increasing awareness and optimizing patient management.