• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.163-172
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• 2011

Subcutaneous foreign body causes recurrent problems such as chronic soft tissue swelling and discharge. Wooden foreign body is one of the most common foreign bodies found in subcutaneous region including face, interdigit, and thoracic or abdominal area. This report demonstrated three dogs with wooden foreign body located in subcutaneous region of thoracic wall, abdominal wall and upper eyelid, respectively. Three dogs showed prominent soft tissue swelling adjacent the foreign body. A sinus or drainage tract was developed in two of these dogs. Ultrasonography revealed that hyperechoic linear structure accompanied acoustic shadow in all dogs, and which was diagnosed as a subcutaneous foreign body. Anechoic or hyperechoic fluid and hypoechoic tissue circumscribed the foreign body. A subcutaneous foreign body in case 3 was removed by clamp under ultrasound-guide with sedation. Sinography was performed in case 1 and clarified that the wooden foreign body did not perforate the thoracic wall and there was no direct communication into thoracic cavity. Ultrasonography and sinography can be used to identify the subcutaneous foreign body and evaluate the inflammatory reaction and relationship between foreign body and adjacent structures.