Dzefi-Tettey Klenam, Edzie Emmanuel Kobina Mesi, Brakohiapa Edmund Kwadwo Kwakye, Labi Juliana, Nyamuame Eunice Sena Aku, Agyeman Nana Yaa Fredua, Coleman Jerry
Department of Radiology, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, 1 Guggisberg Avenue, Accra, Ghana.
Department of Medical Imaging. School of Medical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Radiol Case Rep. 2022 Aug 2;17(10):3709-3712. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2022.07.049. eCollection 2022 Oct.
A retained drainage tube after surgery is rare and patients may be asymptomatic if it occurs. The presence of a retained drainage tube may be first recognized on imaging and this requires a high index of suspicion by radiologists. In this case report, we described an incidental finding of an asymptomatic retained fractured drainage tube in the pelvis of a 32-year-old female on ultrasonography for renal evaluation. This highlighted the need for radiologists to have a high index of suspicion when performing ultrasonography on postoperative patients and surgeons should be meticulous when removing drainage tubes postsurgery. The possibility of a foreign body should be considered when unfamiliar findings are encountered on imaging. Surgeons should inspect drainage tubes after removal to ensure the full length of the tube is removed.