Pediatric Foreign Body in the Soft Tissues

• Etiology: Puncture wound
• Glass:
  — Imaging Radiograph: Often radiopaque except for dashboard glass
  — Imaging US: Can be used to find a foreign body that is not radiopaque on radiograph
  — Imaging CT: Dashboard glass is hyperdense on CT
• Metal:
  — Imaging Radiograph: Most is radioopaque but aluminum is difficult to visualize
  — Note: When patient steps on metallic foreign body (like a needle) it is important to determine if the tip extends into bone
  — Note: When imaging a fishhook it is important to identify if a barb is present as if it is barbed one must push the hook to extract it
• Pencil Lead:
  — Imaging Radiograph: Is made of graphite and is thus radioopaque
• Plastic:
  — Imaging Radiograph: Not radioopaque so can be difficult to identify but if object is partially surrounded by air its edges may be visible
• Wood (especially splinters):
  — Imaging Radiograph: Lucent
  — Imaging US: Well seen which can also be used to guide retrieval
• Note: CT is useful problem-solving modality to identify injected or impacted foreign body
• DDX:
• Complications:
• Treatment: Foreign bodies extending into knee joint need to be removed as they represent nidus of joint infection
• Clinical:

Radiology Cases of Soft Tissues Foreign Body

Radiology Cases of Pencil Lead as a Soft Tissues Foreign Body

Radiology Cases of a Tree Branch as a Soft Tissues Foreign Body