Elsevier

Radiology Case Reports

Volume 16, Issue 11, November 2021, Pages 3172-3175
Radiology Case Reports

Case report
Right ventricular shotgun pellet embolism: Case report and radiological aspect

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radcr.2021.07.060Get rights and content
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Abstract

Pellet embolism to the heart following gunshot injuries is an unusual event that requires a fast diagnosis. Imaging assessment is necessary to locate the projectiles and look for associated injuries. We present a case of a 41-year-old woman admitted after sustaining 2 gunshot wounds in the abdomen and left thigh, with the initial computed tomography (CT) scan showing a metallic object next to the right ventricle. Further radiological evaluation included transthoracic echocardiography and electrocardiogram-gated cardiac CT scan which confirmed the diagnosis of a migrating pellet to the right ventricle, entrapped within the trabeculations. Electrocardiogram-gated cardiac CT has a major role in detailed evaluation of bullet embolism to the heart cavities and guides the management.

Keywords

Computed tomography
Electrocardiogram gating
Penetrating injury
Bullet migration
Temporal resolution

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Acknowledgments: No funding was received for this work from any organizations.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. The authors confirm that this work is original and has not been published elsewhere, nor is it currently under consideration for publication elsewhere.