Ultrasound-guided retrieval of plant awns.
In dogs, surgical removal of plant awns causing a foreign body granuloma or abscess may be challenging. The inability to localize the foreign body during surgical removal often leads to abscess recurrence. In this report, we describe ultrasound-guided retrieval as an alternative to standard surgical retrieval in animals where the plant awn can be identified sonographically. This procedure was used in six dogs with a superficial abscess due to a plant awn, and in all dogs the foreign body was successfully retrieved with Hartmann forceps. No complication was observed and no abscess recurred. Minimally invasive ultrasound-guided plant awn retrieval appears to be a safe effective method of retrieving superficially located plant awns in the dog.
Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Division of Clinical Radiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Daniele
D
Della Santa
Federica
F
Rossi
Fabio
F
Carlucci
Massimo
M
Vignoli
Patrick
P
Kircher
D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D014463:Ultrasonography