Recovery of a Missile Embolus From the Right Ventricle

• Published in: The Annals of thoracic surgery Vol. 103; no. 1; pp. e69 - e71
• Main Authors: Marshall, Clement D., MD, Ma, Michael R., MD, Park, Julia, MD, Sheckter, Clifford C., MD, Massoudi, Rustin A., MD, Ligman, Cathleen M., MD, Jou, Ronald M., MD, Ogden, William D., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 2017
• Subjects: Adult; Cardiac Surgical Procedures - methods; Cardiothoracic Surgery; Echocardiography, Transesophageal; Embolism - diagnosis; Embolism - etiology; Embolism - surgery; Follow-Up Studies; Foreign-Body Migration - complications; Foreign-Body Migration - diagnosis; Foreign-Body Migration - surgery; Heart Diseases - diagnosis; Heart Diseases - etiology; Heart Diseases - surgery; Heart Ventricles; Humans; Male; Multiple Trauma; Recovery of Function; Surgery; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Wounds, Gunshot - complications; Wounds, Gunshot - diagnosis
• ISSN: 0003-4975; 1552-6259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2016.06.107

Missile embolism is a clinical entity in which a projectile object enters a blood vessel and is carried to a distant part of the body. We present a case of the discovery of an iliac vein to right ventricle missile embolus in a young man, with successful extraction through a right atriotomy. We provide a historical overview of the literature concerning missile embolism, and we argue that whereas acute embolized projectiles should be removed in almost all cases, it may be reasonable to simply observe an asymptomatic chronic missile embolus.