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| Year : 2003 | Volume
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| Issue : 4 | Page : 403 |
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| Case report : Sonographic detection of unusual foreign body |
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DH Thakkar
Civil Hospital, Sector No 22, Gandhinagar- 382012, India
Click here for correspondence address and email
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Keywords: USG, Foreign Body.
How to cite this article:
Thakkar D H. Case report : Sonographic detection of unusual foreign body. Indian J Radiol Imaging 2003;13:403 |
A six years old male child presented with a fall from six feet height before five days. Patient was complaining of pain in epigastric region. On examination tenderness was noted in the epigastric region. No definite evidence of abrasion was seen. Mild fullness was noted in the epigastric region. Pulse was 74/min. BP was 118/76mm of Hg. Plain radiograph of abdomen did not reveal any significant abnormality. Sonography of abdomen showed a linear hyper echoic area with mild acoustic shadowing in the epigastric region extending from the subcutaneous tissue through the rectus sheath into the left lobe of liver. Hypo echoic area around the linear hyper echoic area was noted. Minimal free fluid was seen in the peritoneal cavity. The spleen, pancreas, gallbladder, both kidneys and urinary bladder appeared normal. On the basis of sonography findings foreign body (Thorn) extending from the subcutaneous tissue through the rectus sheath in the left lobe of liver with minimal free fluid in the peritoneal cavity was suggested. Under local anaesthesia surgical exploration was tried by the surgeon, but was unable to find the thorn. Sonography was again suggested, which revealed the same findings. Removal of thorn under sonography guidance was planned. Under short general anaesthesia incision was kept at the marked site and the thorn was removed.
 Discussion: | |  |
Post-traumatic retained foreign bodies are common in the subcutaneous tissues of the distal extremities. Sonography has proved to be an accurate imaging modality for visualizing foreign bodies in the subcutaneous tissues, including low-density, radiotransparent materials such as thorn and wooden splinters. Foreign bodies appear as brightly echogenic foci associated with acoustic shadowing, reverbration echoes, both, or neither depending on their nature [1]. When present, inflammatory changes in the surrounding tissues give rise to an ill-defined hypoechoic area.
Sonography is instrumental in the preoperative or intraoperative localization of foreign bodies [3].
| References | | |
| 1. | Gooding GAW, Hardiman T, Sumers M et al. Sonography of hand and foot in foreign body detection. J Ultrasound Med 1987;6:441-447  |
| 2. | Fornage BD, Schernberg FL. Sonographic diagnosis of foreign bodies in of the distal extremities. AJR 1986;147:567-569. [PUBMED] [FULLTEXT] |
| 3. | Fornage BD, Schernberg FL. Sonographic preoperative localization of a foreign body in the hand. J Ultrasound Med 1987;6:217-219. [PUBMED] |
Correspondence Address:
D H Thakkar
Civil Hospital, Sector No 22, Gandhinagar - 382012
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
[Figure - 1], [Figure - 2] |
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