Entrapped foreign body: A diagnostic muddle for the radiologist

Abstract

Exact localization of foreign body is important for planning the treatment required for its retrieval without much tissue damage. Plain film radiography is the initial screening modality used for the detection of suspected foreign body. However, about one-third of all the foreign bodies are missed in the initial radiographic examination. In case of a wooden foreign body, only 15% are well-visualized on plain radiographs and are, therefore, often missed or misdiagnosed. Hence, the different radiographic technique should be used to localize the object instead of relying on a single radiographic image. Here, we present a unique case of foreign body entrapped in the soft tissue appeared initially as osteomyelitis and fracture of the mandible in the digital panoramic radiograph, and finally detected as a foreign body in mandibular occlusal radiography.