Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 6, Issue 8 441-447, Copyright © 1987 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Sonography of the hand and foot in foreign body detection
G. A. Gooding, T. Hardiman, M. Sumers, R. Stess, P. Graf and C. Grunfeld
To evaluate the possibility that sonography might be effective in the
clinical detection of foreign bodies in the soft tissues, we used
high-resolution sonography to study 10 patients with suspected foreign
bodies in the hand and foot. Using ultrasound, we detected foreign bodies
(glass, metal wire) in the sole of the foot of two patients and glass in
the hand of another. Seven patients were proved to be free of foreign
bodies. In an experimental model to ascertain which types of foreign bodies
could be detected by ultrasound, wood, glass, and metallic foreign bodies
2.5 cm in length that had been inserted into the flesh of a chicken breast
were immediately identified by high-resolution sonography. Ultrasound also
pinpointed the surface beneath which the foreign bodies lay and localized
all precisely as to depth from the surface. While detection of a foreign
body is important, precise localization is crucial to avoid miscalculation
of surgery leading to increased tissue damage, blood loss, and an increased
risk of complications. This initial study suggests that high-resolution
sonography has applicability in both the detection and the precise
localization of foreign bodies in the soft tissues, but the sensitivity and
specificity of the procedure remains to be determined.
