Objectives

• to illustrate imaging and clinically relevant aspects of abdominopelvic foreign objects

• to highlight the differences between medical and nonmedical foreign objects

• to provide a case-based review with multimodality imaging

Background

Foreign objects found in abdominopelvic imaging may be classified as medical and non-medical, with intentionally placed medical objects primarily related to specific treatment or procedure. Non-medical foreign objects may be related to trauma, postoperative retention, and intentional or unintentional oral or anal introduction. They may be located within the digestive tract or in the peritoneal or retroperitoneal spaces. Foreign objects may be asymptomatic or generate signs and symptoms, usually related to their location and anatomical relationships. Systemic symptoms may occur when infected. In some cases, imaging is required to search for a specific object. Therefore, knowledge of general concepts and respective imaging findings are essential for adequate interpretation and for providing correct information.

Imaging findings OR Procedure findings

A set of cases evaluated by x-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance is presented, including selected cases showing medical devices intentionally placed for therapeutic and/or prophylactic purposes to improve differential diagnosis. Discussion of clinically relevant aspects and the key imaging findings for each case are presented in detail. General concepts related to specific foreign bodies are provided when applied.

Conclusion

Imaging evaluation of abdominopelvic foreign objects can be challenging considering the wide variety of objects, either intentionally or unintentionally placed and their clinical significance. The radiologist should be able to promptly provide this assessment considering the pivotal role of imaging for patient treatment.