Foreign material

Foreign material is something that is extrinsic to the body.

Foreign body redirect to this article.

Fecal material is dealt with separately in the article fecal material.

General

• Relatively common.
• Seen in a number of contexts.

Gross

• Looks like it doesn't belong, e.g. food.
• Obvious foreign bodies are gross only diagnoses.
  • Examples:
    • A dildo removed surgically from a body orifice.
    • A bullet removed in surgery - should be handled with care, photographed... probably will become evidence.

Microscopic

Features:

• Material with out nuclei.
• May be honeycomb-like, cartilage-like or muscle-like.
• Often homogenous.

DDx:

• Fecal material - if in colon/rectum.
• Necrotic material.
• Degradable surgical sponges.
• Tissue processing artifact.

Sign out

FOREIGN BODY, RIGHT LOWER LOBE, RETRIEVAL:
- MORPHOLOGICALLY CONSISTENT WITH A GREEN PEA (GROSS ONLY).

FOREIGN BODY, BRONCHUS INTERMEDIUS, RETRIEVAL:
- MUCOUS WITH NEUTROPHILS AND MACROPHAGES.
- BENIGN CALCIFICATIONS.
- FOREIGN MATERIAL (HONEYCOMB-LIKE AND CARTILAGE-LIKE WITHOUT NUCLEI) -- COMPATIBLE
  WITH FOOD.
- SCANT STRIPPED BRONCHIAL LINING EPITHELIUM WITHOUT APPARENT PATHOLOGY.

SOFT TISSUE, LEFT ARM, EXCISION:
- FOREIGN BODY, APPEARANCE COMPATIBLE WITH A PIECE OF WOOD (GROSS ONLY).
- FOREIGN BODY-REACTION (ACUTE AND CHRONIC INFLAMMATION WITH ACTIVATED FIBROBLASTS,
  HISTIOCYTES AND RARE GIANT CELLS).
- NEGATIVE FOR MALIGNANCY.

See also

• Fecal matter.
• Aspiration pneumonia.
• Artifacts.