Gold Threads on Chest Radiograph.

A previous healthy 45-year-old woman underwent a medical checkup at the author’s hospital. Chest radiograph showed numerous short, hyper-dense, thread-like fragments in the chest and neck (Fig. 1). Her vital signs were normal. On physical examination, she had normal breath sounds, no cervical lymphadenopathy, and normal skin. Laboratory evaluation showed no abnormalities. Computed tomography confirmed multiple fine metallic subcutaneous densities (Fig. 2). Further questioning of the patient revealed that she had received ‘cosmetic’ gold thread therapy several years previously.

FIG. 1

Chest radiograph showing numerous short, hyper-dense, thread-like fragments in the chest and neck.

FIG. 2

Computed tomography confirming multiple fine metallic subcutaneous densities.

This procedure is the implantation of pure gold threads of 0.1 mm diameter into the subdermal skin.1 It is suggested that foreign-body reaction may trigger angiogenesis as well as the production of elastin and collagen fibers leading to skin ‘rejuvenation’.12 Gold thread therapy is occasionally used in chronic pain diseases (e.g., osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis).34 However, the therapeutic evidence is scant.12 Furthermore, gold threads can reduce the diagnostic quality of radiographs.3