title: A Firm and Painful Plaque on the Thorax: The Role of Ultrasound in the Detection of Foreign Bodies.
abstract: The presence of a subcutaneous foreign body may not be easily suspected after the initial history and exploration of the patient. The authors report a 54-year-old male who came to the Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain with a firm plaque, fixed to deep structures, which showed several draining orifices over the costal grid. After several tests, the authors performed an ultrasonography that revealed the presence of a fistula from a foreign body secondary to a previously untreated costal fracture that occurred several years before. The authors believe ultrasonography is a readily available and useful tool that may help dermatologists in daily clinical practice, with the advantage of being a noninvasive test.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Anastasia A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Garrido-Ríos
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Echeverria-García
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Álvarez-Garrido
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Borbujo
mesh_terms: D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012253:Rib Fractures / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D013909:Thorax; D014463:Ultrasonography