Needle in the heart.

Abstract

A patient accidentally drove a darning needle through her chest wall into her left ventricle. After referral five weeks later as possible case of infective endocarditis, the needle was detected and removed successfully by open heart surgery. It was localised precisely by echocardiography.

Management of Metallic Foreign Bodies in the Heart

“…Such patients usually suffer from mental disorders and alcoholism. Self‐inflicted injury is usually an expression of depressive behaviors or a suicide attempt 5‐7,10,11 , 15‐18 …”

A lost suture needle in the left ventricle 4 years after cardiac surgery

“…Needles in the heart can cause complications including cardiac tamponade, pericarditis, infective endocarditis, structural valve destruction, and embolism. [1][2][3][4] Previous literature about FB in the heart have recommended the following treatment strategy. First, symptomatic FB should be removed regardless of the duration since the accident.…”

Delayed Cardiac Tamponade and Hemothorax Induced by an Acupuncture Needle

“…as well as M-mode [11] and two-dimensional echocar diography [5,12], Although the image of sev eral needles on chest and abdominal roent genograms raised suspicion, the needle caus ing the traumatic cardiac tamponade located at the base of pulmonary artery could not be detected on the roentgenogram. In Japan, acupuncture needles of 10 shapes, about 40 lengths ( 1.10-150 mm), and about 24 differ ent diameters (0.12-0.88 mm) are available.…”