Sponge Rubber Revealed Two Years After Penetrating Injury: A Case Report

• Published in: The Journal of foot and ankle surgery 2017-07, Vol.56 (4), p.885-888
• Main Authors: Roth, Sandor, MD, PhD, Zaninovic, Maja, MD, Roth, Aron, MD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Foot; Foot Injuries - diagnostic imaging; Foot Injuries - surgery; Foreign Bodies; Granuloma, Foreign-Body - diagnostic imaging; Granuloma, Foreign-Body - etiology; Granuloma, Foreign-Body - surgery; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Orthopedics; pseudotumour; puncture wound; Rubber - adverse effects; sponge rubber foreign body; Wounds, Penetrating - diagnostic imaging; Wounds, Penetrating - surgery
• ISSN: 1067-2516; 1542-2224
• DOI: 10.1053/j.jfas.2017.03.006

Abstract The present report illustrates a very rare case report of a foreign body granuloma of the foot associated with a 2-year period of a retained spongeous rubber foreign body after a penetrating injury. Because it appeared almost 2 years after the injury, the history of trauma was minimized, the foreign body had migrated from the plantar to the dorsal side of the foot, and the radiographic appearance resembled a malignant process, it was difficult to rule out the possibility of a malignant tumor. This case shows the weakness of magnetic resonance imaging in detecting spongeous rubber in the body. Also, a bone osteoblastic reaction to the foreign body has very rarely been noted. To the best of our knowledge, just 5 cases have been previously reported. Provided suspicion exists of previous trauma with an embedded foreign body, the differential diagnosis of a bone neoplasm should consider the possibility of a foreign body reaction. Biopsy proved to be the best diagnostic tool.