Last update:
19-Mar-2015

The entry of foreign bodies into various parts of the body is common. Foreign bodies have been reported in the urinary bladder (parts of endoscopy instruments, pencils, wire, candles, thermometers, etc.), stomach and tracheobronchial tree. Foreign bodies can also be weapons, projectiles or fragments of shells or explosive materials from criminal or terrorist acts or warfare, which can be found anywhere in the body and may remain there for life. The patients may present acute or chronic symptoms because of complications that occur. Diagnosis is based on the medical history and usually simple imaging. The case of a foreign body (a wire fragment) in the subcutaneous tissue of the supraclavicular region in a 42-year-old male sportsman is presented, describing the peculiar way of detecting the wire with a metal detection machine, as well as the final diagnosis and treatment.

Key words: Foreign body, Fragment, Metal detector, Subcutaneous tissue.