CTICasesRetained Acupuncture Needles
Imaging findings
Frontal chest radiograph in an Asian woman presenting with back pain demonstrates multiple, thin, linear radiopaque metallic needle fragments embedded within the subcutaneous and deep soft tissues of the posterior chest wall and shoulder girdle, without pleural complication.
Key takeaways
Retained acupuncture needles (or gold thread acupuncture fragments) are common incidental findings on chest radiographs of patients who have undergone traditional therapies. They typically project over the posterior chest wall and should not be confused with foreign bodies from trauma or surgical material. The subcutaneous location is characteristic, and they are usually clinically silent.
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