IMPORTANT: We currently have a number of bugs related to image cropping and are actively trying to resolve them. In the meantime, we have disabled cropping. Apologies for any inconvenience. Stay informed: radiopaedia.org/chat

Vacuum phenomenon in the wrist

Case contributed by Mohammad Taghi Niknejad
Diagnosis almost certain

Presentation

Incidental finding.

Patient Data

Age: 1 year
Gender: Male
x-ray

 The radiolucent semilunar shadows are seen in the wrists due to the mild traction as an incidental finding.

Case Discussion

The radiolucent semilunar shadows are characteristic of the vacuum phenomenon, which is gas (principally nitrogen), presumably originating from the surrounding tissues due to mild traction for positioning.

A case of Prof. Saeed Rad's archive, Tabriz university of medical sciences, Radiology department, Iran.

How to use cases

You can use Radiopaedia cases in a variety of ways to help you learn and teach.

Creating your own cases is easy.

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.