Civilian gunshot wounds to the head with brain stem localization. A case report

The authors present a case of a patient wounded to the head and back by civilian firearm projectiles. The case peculiarity is that only one bullet reached the brain stem level causing significant neurological deficits. The final clinical picture is comparable to the "caudal pontine tegmentum syndrome". The authors describe both the bullet path and the intracranial localization taking into account ballistic details. The problems associated with prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment for gunshot wounds are discussed. In addition, the authors explain the main intracranial lesions and their mechanisms, the role of investigation, and the protocol of medical and surgical treatment. Lastly, a systematic approach for treating these types of gunshot wounds is outlined.