Finding a Needle in a Haystack: An Unusual Case of Foreign Body Aspiration

Foreign body aspiration can have serious medical consequences ranging from asphyxiation to infection. Aspiration of sharp, metallic foreign bodies can also pose risks of vascular injury and damage to the surrounding tissue. On the other hand, in the presence of a foreign body, it should be noted that imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be contraindicated as they can lead to serious injury when the foreign bodies are brought under a magnetic field. We present a case of an incidental foreign body identified on chest radiography that prevented a brain MRI in a patient who had a history of sewing needle aspiration as a child, with its presence in the left thoracic cavity since that time.