Objective: Penetrating heart injury is potentially a life threatening condition due to cardiac tamponade or exsanguinating hemorrhage. The aim of this study was to evaluate victims who were referred to our hospital with penetrating heart and accompanying lung injuries and to review our overall outcome with this type of combined injuries. Methodology: Twenty patients with combined penetrating he...

INTRODUCTION Heart injuries can be classified as penetrating and non-penetrating (blunt). Penetrating wounds are usually caused by stabbing with a piercing object, weapon or projectiles--missiles. The right atrium is damaged in most cases, because of its anatomical position--making the most of the anterior side of the heart. Morbidity caused by stabbing injuries to the heart is 20%-30%, while p...

INTRODUCTION Civilian penetrating gunshot injuries to the neurocranium are no longer uncommon in Nigeria. Such injuries are however poorly reported. They are associated with poor outcome and, at close range, are frequently fatal, especially when inflicted by high-velocity weapons. Prompt transfer to neurosurgical service and urgent intervention may improve outcome in those that are not mortally...

Penetrating neck injuries are dangerous and deserve emergency treatment by virtue of the vital structures present underneath. There is a potential risk of unrecognized vascular injury and retained foreign bodies with their associated complications in these wounds. Therefore, an early diagnostic workup to localize the site of injury and an immediate neck exploration are important.

Penetrating chest wounds can hide a range of life threatening injuries and often require emergency surgical management. It is important that the patient be assessed and managed according to clinical need and response to medical intervention. This is a case of a patient with a large intrapulmonary haematoma who was managed conservatively and made a good recovery without need for surgery.

Renal Injuries Most renal injuries, except for those of the renal pedicle, are not acutely life threatening. Undiagnosed or improperly treated injuries, however, may cause significant morbidity. While the vast majority of blunt renal injuries will heal uneventfully with observation and conservative therapy, a significant number of renal injuries in combat will come from penetrating wounds and r...

Introduction: Pneumocephalus is air or gas located in the intracranial cavity. Head trauma is the most common cause of pneumocephalus, with the majority of cases resulting from sinus and basilar skull fractures. A small number of case reports have been published describing pneumocephalus after cervical and thoracic penetrating injuries. To our knowledge, we report the first case of severe pneum...

One hundred patients underwent elective cranioplasty for high velocity missile injury of the head during a 30-month-period study and investigation in Amiralmomenin Hospital affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences. Deep penetrating wounds were the most frequent injuries seen during this study. Three patients presented with massive bone defects and progressive neurological deficit ...