Glass foreign body - hand

Case contributed by Maulik S Patel
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Local swelling and mild pain after a glass particle injury to the dorsum of the left hand about 6 months prior.

Patient Data

Age: 50 years
Gender: Female
ultrasound

There is a linear echogenic focus in the region of swelling causing reverberation artifact. It is a foreign body.

Location   

  • subcutaneous plane
  • superficial to 3rd - 4th finger extensors, at the metacarpals base level
  • aligned to the long axis of metacarpals

Size

  • length: 7-8 mm
  • width: 2-3 mm

There is no tendon tear/tenosynovitis.

Photo

Intraoperative photo and photo of a retrieved glass foreign body

Case Discussion

This female presented with a history of glass injury to the dorsum of hand about 6 months prior. Ultrasound shows a foreign body in subcutaneous plane of hand which was removed surgically. 

Photos courtesy of operating surgeon Dr Nisarg A Patel

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