Pelvic gunshot wound presenting as bladder clot concealing a left external iliac injury

Abstract

Key clinical message This is the first reported case of a pelvic gunshot wound with a bladder injury masking a coinciding left external iliac artery injury. A high index of suspicion for an acute and traumatic ilio‐vesical fistula should be raised in the presence of the following triad: bright red hematuria, bladder distension from clot retention, hemodynamic instability after bladder decompression “Mukendi's triad.” Abstract Iliac artery injury from gunshot wounds is very rare and a lethal injury associated with high mortality rate. Concurrent ballistic external iliac artery and bladder injuries resulting in an acute ilio‐vesical shunt or fistula and discovered at the time of presentation are extremely rare. In this report, we present an unprecedented case of multiple pelvic gunshot wounds presented with a distended injured bladder full of clots concealing a left external iliac injury by tamponade effect.

Keywords

• arteriovesical fistula
• bladder clot
• bladder injury
• external iliac artery injury
• ilio‐vesical fistula
• pelvic gunshot wound