Unexpected Blooming Artifact in Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Abstract Unexpected foreign bodies are occasionally discovered during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These are often present unknown to the patient, missed during routine pre-MRI screening and result in unnecessary delay during MRI. The authors present a patient with traumatically embedded foreign body in the scalp that escaped pre-MRI screening and caused susceptibility artifacts during brain MRI. The object was surgically removed to allow the imaging to be completed. Patients with suspicion or history of facial trauma or with dental restorations are referred to concerned specialists for compatibility of hardware, restorations and for assessing risks during MRI due to these. This patient is presented as a reminder for clinicians to probe further during anamnesis and have a high index of suspicion for foreign bodies that may be present even after trivial injuries. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Akilesh Ramasamy, MDS, Department of Dentistry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Dhanvantri Nagar, Puducherry, India; E-mail: akident@gmail.com Received 22 April, 2017 Accepted 4 August, 2017 The authors report no conflicts of interest. © 2017 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.

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