Artifact can be due to medical devices or due to abnormally internalised objects.
This page demonstrates a selection of the many medical artifacts you may come across, or objects that are ingested by patients.
Abdominal X-ray - Abnormal calcification
Artifact and foreign body
Key points
- When presenting your findings of an abdominal X-ray note the presence of artifact - internal or external
Naso-jejunal tube
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Naso-jejunal tube
- Placed for the purpose of enteral feeding
- The tube passes through the stomach and forms a C-shape as it navigates the 4 parts of the duodenum (D1-4)
- The tube tip lies beyond the duodenojejunal flexure which lies on the left
Pig-tail (JJ) stent
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Pig-tail (JJ) stent
- A ureteric stent has been placed to relieve ureteric obstruction
- The catheter has loops (pig-tails) at both ends which hold it in place
Colonic stent
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Colonic stent
- Large bowel obstruction can be treated with placement of a metallic colonic stent
- This is often used as a temporary measure allowing a patient to recover from the effects of obstruction prior to definitive colonic resection
Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter
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Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter
- An IVC filter may be used to reduce the risk of large pulmonary emboli
- Most commonly used in patients who have had pulmonary embolism but for whom anticoagulation is contraindicated
- IVC filters are self-expanding wire structures shaped like an umbrella
- Small clots may pass between the wires of the filter but large clots are prevented from reaching the pulmonary arteries
Foreign body - ingested
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Foreign body - ingested
- This psychiatric patient has ingested numerous radio-opaque objects
- The navel jewellery is external!