Wooden foreign bodies: imaging appearance.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristic imaging features of wooden foreign bodies.


METHODS
The imaging studies of 12 patients with surgically confirmed wooden foreign bodies were retrospectively reviewed. The study group consisted of seven females and five males, 10-65 years old (mean age, 36 years). All patients underwent radiography. Nine patients were evaluated with sonography, eight with MR imaging, three with CT, and one with CT arthrography. Gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging was performed in six patients. Three patients presented with a draining sinus and nine with painful swelling. Only three patients presented with a history of penetrating injury.


RESULTS
Lesions were located in the foot (n = 4), hand (n = 3), thigh (n = 2), calf (n = 2), and elbow (n = 1). Radiographs failed to reveal the retained foreign bodies in all patients. With MR imaging, wooden foreign bodies displayed a variable signal intensity that was equal to or less than that of skeletal muscle on both T1- and T2-weighted images. MR imaging showed the surrounding inflammatory response in all patients. CT showed the retained wood as linear cylindric foci of increased attenuation. Wood was highly echogenic and revealed pronounced acoustic shadowing on sonography. Arthrography in one patient showed an associated reactive synovitis.


CONCLUSIONS
The imaging appearance of wooden foreign bodies is variable; however, imaging can be quite specific, and when taken in the appropriate clinical setting, the imaging should reliably suggest the diagnosis. Sonography is frequently underused but proved most useful for the evaluation of retained wooden foreign bodies.
Peterson
Jeffrey J
JJ
Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32224-3899, USA.
Bancroft
Laura W
LW
Kransdorf
Mark J
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001175:Arthrography; D002648:Child; D005121:Extremities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014934:Wood