An opacity projecting over the abdomen has a broad differential. Possibilities to consider include:
-
foreign bodies
- ingested, e.g. coins, batteries, bones, etc
- artifacts, e.g. object attached to the cloth of the patient like a safety pin or button
- iatrogenic, e.g. hemostatic clips, gastric banding, retained pack or surgical instrument
- traumatic, e.g. bullet or pellet from firearm injuries
- retained barium or dense fecal matter which may be retained for months in cases of colonic diverticulosis
- appendicolith
-
dystrophic calcification
- injection granuloma
- pancreatic calcification in chronic pancreatitis
- uterine fibroid calcification
- peritoneal calcifications
- lymph node calcification: generally mesenteric having a lobulated contour
- calculi
- urolithiasis
-
gallstones
- within the biliary tract
- gallstone ileus
- retained gallstones
- bladder calculi
