Role of chest CT scan in atypical cardiac trauma management: Left ventricle injury by a nail gun

Abstract

We report a case of an accidental penetrating cardiac trauma with a nail gun. A 28-year-old man was repairing a sofa with a nail gun when a nail was misfired to his chest. At the time of his presentation, he underwent chest CT scan, showing the nail as a sharp hyperdense foreign body penetrating the chest wall passing through the lower lobe of the left lung and finally the anterior aspect of left ventricle cavity. This report highlights the utility of the chest CT scan to detect trajectory of the misfired nail accurately and instantaneously in a hemodynamically stable patient to assist in the surgery plan.

Keywords

• Nail gun injury
• Penetrating heart injury
• Sternotomy
• Wrapping repair