After suffering nose pain for 37 years, woman finds a game board piece in her nostril

boing
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Originally published at: After suffering nose pain for 37 years, woman finds a game board piece in her nostril | Boing Boing

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A CT scan? Couldn’t this have been confirmed with a simple x-ray (or even a laparoscope) at less cost and less radiation for the patient?

I could see a CT scan after the x-ray confirmed it, in case the more detailed 3D image would be necessary for planning how to remove it.

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Probably not that much of an issue in New Zealand.

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I don’t think cost was an issue for her. As for the radiation, I think it would be better to ask a doctor.

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It seems Mattel has been on board with x-rays for a while now. I wonder if current manufacturers have followed suit (Mattel made the process open-source)?

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i used to bet people i could fit a quarter in my nose, and now when i’m short of change at the checkout, i just do a little digging.

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37 years. It must have been such a relief after it was removed.

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the winks

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A tiddlywink might not have enough of a radiographic shadow to show up on a standard x-ray. It’s pretty similar in density to tissue. CT scan is more sensitive to small variations in radiographic density.

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That’s nothing to sneeze at.

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I am always disappointed in these stories because they do not ever include any image of the stuck thing inside the nose, from whatever form of scan was used.

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A CT scan is a 3D model made by combining the results of many x-ray images from different angles. Although each individual image taken by a CT machine typically uses less than a single x-ray, the total radiation exposure is higher.

I can’t find info on imaging of the head or sinus regions, but I did find this:

  • chest x-ray: 0.1 mSv effective dosage
  • chest CT: 6.1 mSv [source]

Also: “chances of developing a fatal cancer because of a CT scan are about 1 in 2,000” [source]

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I wonder if the piece is still playable?

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Repo Man__JFP__X-Rays

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Maybe I’m the oddity here since I’ve had a number of sinus surgeries and procedures over the years, but how come there was no point during 37 years that she thought to go to an ENT and just have them take a quick peek? Did it really never bother her that much?

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Did her nose light up when they took it out?

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This is the part of stories like this that always catches my attention, too. People put up with symptoms for years or decades before getting treatment, only to discover they could’ve found relief quickly after seeing a doctor. It’s even less understandable in countries where healthcare isn’t expensive or difficult to find.

I had a shoulder problem once, and it caused intense pain. Couldn’t open a door, or do much with that arm at all. It took me over a week of waiting to get a specialist’s first available appointment (saw my GP ASAP first). The specialist informed me that people who waited more than six months for treatment usually never got full range of motion back. I was stunned. I said, “People walk around with pain like this for months?”

Maybe it’s fear that drives people to that. Still, dealing with symptoms and chasing pain relief can really ruin quality of life. The treatment I had to go through wasn’t easy, but to me it was worth it to have use of both arms. :woman_shrugging:t4:

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Generally against HIPAA, but if a doctor kept the images without any patient identification for a presentation or case study, it might be permitted.

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Understood. But once the story is out there, presumably with patient permission…

And patient is hardly identifiable, in any case.

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Many modern imaging systems have an automated anonymization tool that helps with that, too.

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