Pre-operative Localization of a Chest Wall Needle by Ultrasonography: A Case Report

High-resolution ultrasonography is a useful tool for the localization of non-palpable soft-tissue foreign bodies. A 21-year-old female underwent a routine health examination, during which chest radiography revealed a radio-opaque linear foreign body. The foreign body was located within left posterior chest wall, 4 to 5 cm lateral to the T8 spinous process. The shape indicated a needle. The possible presence of a needle in the chest wall meant that an operation to remove it was imperative. There was no tender point or palpable mass present on the chest wall and, consequently, there was difficulty determining the precise location of the object. Using high-resolution linear-array ultrasound, a linear hyperechoic focus was clearly demonstrated at the junction of the subcutaneous layer and the muscle layer. The needle was measured as 1.94 cm in length and was located 0.62 cm beneath the skin. After precise ultrasonographic localization and marking of the object's location, the needle was successfully removed immediately by surgery.