Bullet Emboli to the Pulmonary Artery: A Report of 2 Patients and Review of the Literature

Bullet embolization to the pulmonary artery is a rare event. The purpose of this study is to report our experience with 2 patients and to review the 15 patients reported in the literature, with special emphasis on a rather peculiar complication that has occurred in 4 of the 9 patients who underwent...

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Veröffentlicht in:The Annals of thoracic surgery 1976-04, Vol.21 (4), p.333-336
Hauptverfasser: Stephenson, Larry W., Workman, Ronald B., Aldrete, Joaquin S., Karp, Robert B.
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Bullet embolization to the pulmonary artery is a rare event. The purpose of this study is to report our experience with 2 patients and to review the 15 patients reported in the literature, with special emphasis on a rather peculiar complication that has occurred in 4 of the 9 patients who underwent bullet embolectomy: dislodgment of the missile during the surgical procedure and migration to the down-side lung, for which a second thoracotomy was required in 3 of those patients. The usual untoward effects of foreign bodies in the vascular system were seen in this series: embolization with thrombosis, sepsis, erosion and hemorrhage, and vascular occlusion with infarction. This review suggests that operative removal of a bullet in the pulmonary artery is necessary. The operation is safe and uncomplicated if precautions are taken to prevent the missile from migrating during manipulation of the lung.
ISSN:0003-4975
1552-6259
DOI:10.1016/S0003-4975(10)64322-6