Sonographic detection of subcutaneous foreign bodies in 3 cases

Subcutaneous masses caused by foreign bodies are frequently encountered in daily practice. Although the majority of foreign bodies such as metals can be detected by radiography, substances such as vegetative materials or wood are difficult to detect. To our knowledge, only a few studies have described the sonographic characteristics of foreign bodies. Herein, we report 3 cases where we studied the sonographic characteristics of the foreign bodies in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Our results revealed the following 3 foreign bodies: (1) glass, (2) vegetative material, and (3) a pencil core. Thus, sonographic examination is useful for the detection of foreign bodies.