Imaging foreign glass and wooden bodies of the extremities with CT and MR.

This paper reviews our recent experience imaging glass and wooden foreign bodies of the extremities with magnetic resonance (MR) and CT. In all five cases the foreign bodies were detected by CT or MR or both. Only two of the foreign bodies were detected by plain radiography. Computed tomography and MR provided additional information regarding the adjacent tendons, neurovascular bundles, and muscle groups. The surrounding inflammatory reactions were accurately compartmentalized, and the extent of the disease along anatomic pathways of potential spread was demarcated. Magnetic resonance was superior to CT in soft tissue contrast resolution. Magnetic resonance and CT are not necessary for a case of acute foreign body injuries, but in complicated cases CT and MR may not only diagnose a foreign body but also serve to guide the surgical approach and extent of exploration.