EmergencyNeuro / Head & NeckBody / AbdominalEducationTrainee

Bone Flap Stored in Abdominal Wall Mimics Calcified Pelvic Mass on CT

UC Davis Radiology (YouTube)Jun 21

After decompressive craniectomy, a patient's own skull flap was temporarily stored in the anterior abdominal wall. On CT, this heterotopic bone appears as a calcified pelvic wall mass and should not be mistaken for a tumor.

  • Teaching case: bone flap from decompressive craniectomy is temporarily banked in the abdominal subcutaneous tissue.
  • Key finding on CT: well-defined, calcified mass along the anterior abdominal wall, corresponding to the patient's own calvarial bone.
  • Radiologists must recognize this iatrogenic finding to avoid misdiagnosing it as a neoplasm.

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