Retained foreign bodies in the abdomen and pelvis are an uncommon occurrence after surgical operations but have serious medicolegal implications. The radiologist plays an important role in suggesting the diagnosis of a retained foreign body. This article reviews the use of three-dimensional CT as a problem-solving tool in the identification, localization, and presurgical planning of retained surgical foreign bodies.
Retained foreign bodies in the abdomen and pelvis are an uncommon occurrence after surgical operations, and may cause discomfort, infection, or other clinical complications in both the acute and remote postsurgical setting. These cases often have serious medicolegal implications, and accurate diagnosis is relevant to overall morbidity and mortality. Retained foreign bodies after surgery occur in approximately one in 5000 operations [1]. Radiologists are almost invariably called upon to play a central role in identification and localization of retained foreign bodies. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to present three-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) as a valuable problem-solving tool in the identification, localization, and presurgical planning in the management of retained foreign bodies.