Air-Rifle Wound of the Heart With Embolization

Abstract

A PENETRATING WOUND of the chest with embolization of the missile to a peripheral artery is a rare injury. Spencer and Kennedy reviewed this subject in 1957 and were able to find reports of 24 patients who demonstrated such a lesion, to which they added one of their own.¹We are aware of one other case which has been reported since that time.²An additional example is presented in this communication. <h3>Report of a Case</h3> On the afternoon of June 27, 1963, a 10-year-old boy was brought to a physician's office after having been shot in the chest with an air rifle from a distance of about ten feet. He was pale, faint, and complained of difficulty in breathing. A small wound was present just lateral to the sternal border in the left fourth intercostal space. No wound of exit was found. Heart tones were distant and the