Percutaneous radiologic treatment of self-embedded foreign bodies is safe, precise
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Radiologists can play an important role in identifying self-embedding behavior, and percutaneous radiologic treatment of foreign bodies embedded into soft tissue is safe and precise, according to research published online Sept. 7 in Radiology.
Adam S. Young, of the Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and colleagues analyzed data from 11 patients who required treatment for 76 self-embedded soft-tissue foreign bodies (STFBs). Patients ranged in age from 14 to 18 years.
The researchers found that most of the foreign bodies were inserted into patients' arms (69), followed by necks (4), ankle, foot, and hand (1 each). The number of foreign bodies per patient encounter ranged from one to 15, with a mean of 4.2. The objects were most often made of metal (40), though other common compositions included plastic (15) and graphite (12). Most (68) were removed in the interventional radiology section. These were typically removed with ultrasound guidance (43), fluoroscopic guidance (15), or both (10). Removal was successful in all cases, without complications.
"In conclusion, an understanding of self-embedding behavior affords radiologists a unique role as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide the first diagnosis of the self-embedding injury and recommend percutaneous treatment as a therapeutic option. Percutaneous radiologic treatment for self-inserted STFBs is safe, precise, and effective for radiopaque and nonradiopaque foreign bodies, including those at risk for fragmentation during traditional surgical removal techniques," the authors conclude.
Abstract
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