Maxillofacial injury related to an exploding e-cigarette

Abstract

Electronic cigarettes (also known as e-cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery systems) were invented in China in 2003 then introduced to the British market in 2007. They remain popular among the public and are deemed to be effective in reducing tobacco smoking (the UK being one of the first countries to embrace them in a harm reduction policy). However, reports in the media of e-cigarettes exploding are of concern, considering the potential functional and psychological impairment that lifelong disfigurement will cause, especially given their uptake among people of any age. We present a case of this rare, but dramatic, effect of e-cigarette use as a warning to the public.