Surgical removal of an intracardiac sewing needle in a 13-month-old Chinese girl: report of a case

Sewing needles, albeit rare in the case of penetrating cardiac injury, are highly lethal; especially in children, because the injury is difficult to diagnose and treat. We herein present the case of a 13-month-old girl who was injured by a sewing needle inserted in the myocardium; it is the first report of its kind from mainland China. The 13-month-old girl was referred to our hospital with a range of symptoms, including convulsions, diarrhea, and cough. Chest X-ray and echocardiogram revealed a needle located below the aortic valve, passing through the ventricular septum and aortic root. Surgical removal of the needle was performed under extracorporeal circulation. No hemorrhage or arrhythmia was seen, so the operation was ended, and the patient was discharged 8 days after the surgery. An early diagnosis and intervention proved to be lifesaving for this patient with a penetrating cardiac injury. We hope this case can provide a reference for the treatment of similar situations.