We report a case of osteomyelitis of the cuboid bone following a puncture wound of the foot in childhood. A nine-year-old boy stepped on something while wearing rubber sandals. After two days a localized abscess formed on his foot. He was treated by surgical drainage of the abscess and antibiotics, but foot pain and swelling continued. Eight weeks after the initial injury, he was admitted to our hospital because of a lytic lesion in the cuboid bone on radiograph. A retained foreign body in the cuboid bone was suspected by computed tomography. Operation revealed several pieces of wood in the cuboid bone with abscess. He was treated successfully by surgical evacuation the abscess, removal of wood pieces, and antibiotics. He remained symptomless with no residual signs of infection three months postoperatively. Radiography is not useful for detecting radiolucent foreign bodies such as wood. Whenever infections due to foreign body are suspected, ultrasound, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging should be considered as a recommended examination method.
