Case Report: Using Point-of-care Ultrasound as a Tool to Identify a Urethral Foreign Body

Abstract

When patients present to the emergency department with retained urethral foreign objects, imaging is crucial for identifying and further describing the object(s). Imaging is also important to plan the management and to assess the potential complications of foreign object removal. Ultrasonography is sometimes used for this purpose and can often provide more information on the object and its location and characteristics than plain radiographs.Case Report: This case report discusses the identification and characterization of a retained urethral foreign object that was not seen on plain radiography. Conclusion:While ultrasonography has its own limitations, in the cases of retained foreign objects, it can provide preferable imaging and can help guide the management of these patients. [Clin Pract

Electric wire as a urethral foreign body

“…Ultrasound is a dynamic, real-time, noninvasive inspection technology that has been proven to be an effective tool to determine the size, location, and characteristics of urethral foreign bodies. [ 18 ] At the same time, foreign bodies should be differentiated from urologic diseases such as urinary stones, [ 19 ] which also revealed enhanced echoes with acoustic shadow, but they could cause sharp pain and hematuria. Moreover, urethral foreign bodies can occasionally lead to urinary stones.…”

“…Imaging tests, including X-ray, ultrasound, CT, and magnetic resonance imaging, were used to examine the objects in the urethra. Ultrasound is a dynamic, real-time, noninvasive inspection technology that has been proven to be an effective tool to determine the size, location, and characteristics of urethral foreign bodies [18] . At the same time, foreign bodies should be differentiated from urologic diseases such as urinary stones, [19] which also revealed enhanced echoes with acoustic shadow, but they could cause sharp pain and hematuria.…”