Orbital wooden foreign body manifesting as hyperdensity on computed tomography

Detection of wooden foreign bodies within the orbit can be difficult on imaging, including computed tomography (CT). When visible, wood appears iso- or hypodense and can mimic air or fat. We report the case of a 3-year-old boy with progressive orbital cellulitis following a penetrating wood injury to the right lower lid. CT imaging revealed a linear hyperdensity contiguous with an orbital abscess. He underwent a right anterior orbitotomy with abscess drainage, during which exploration revealed a 2.3 cm retained wooden foreign body. The appearance of wood as hyperdense on imaging is unusual. In the appropriate context, high clinical suspicion for retained wood should be maintained with any irregularity on CT imaging.