Penetrating chest injury afflicting coronary artery fistula—A delayed and asymptomatic occurrence

Abstract

We present here a case of a symptomatic chest injury with a nail gun causing a delayed occurrence of coronary artery fistula to the left pulmonary artery presenting with unstable angina 4 years after the initial injury, three of which were symptom-free. The patient underwent successful surgical closure of the fistula and removal of the foreign body.

Penetrating cardiac trauma caused by a nail-gun: A case report and narrative review

“…Presentations vary from chronic to acute, and from stable to unstable [8] , [12] , [22] , [23] . Some patients have had missed injuries, and present with complications years later [8] . These injuries commonly require operative management.…”

“…He was discharged to a mental health facility on postoperative day 7. A narrative review of case reports pertaining to nail-gun related cardiac injury was performed [4] , [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] ( Supplementary Table 1 ). Medical illustrations and case reports of paediatric patients (under 16) were excluded.…”