Grass spikes or stems (influorescences) are known as troublesome foreign bodies when they are aspirated into the bronchial tree.1-8 Some aspirated spikes have migrated through the bronchial mucosa and chest wall, and an occasional spike has migrated to other tissues. Barley spikes may rarely penetrate the buccal mucosa of the cow.1 Penetration and migration of plant spikes or fibers through the buccal mucosa of man has not, to our knowledge, been reported. We report the apparent spontaneous passage of a grass stem through the buccal mucosa of a child.
Report of a Case.—A 9-year-old boy was admitted to the Mayo Clinic for examination as a member of a family with multiple endocrine neoplasia. Five weeks before admission to the clinic he noted the appearance of a slightly tender mass in the right submandibular area at the angle of the jaw. The mass slowly increased in size, and