The traveling pelvic bullet: a case of retrograde ballistic migration through the venous system

Abstract

Migration of a ballistic missile through the vasculature is rare but important to recognize. It can lead to diagnostic confusion and seemingly unexplainable bullet trajectories. We have described the case of a young man with a gunshot wound to the axillary vein and initial embolus to the inferior vena cava. The bullet subsequently migrated to the right common iliac vein, allowing for straightforward retrieval.

Keywords

• Vascular trauma
• Foreign body embolus
• Endovascular retrieval