Gunshot wound to the thorax with bullet embolization to the external carotid artery

Gunshot wounds are associated with major morbidity and mortality rates. If the patient survives the initial insult, all gunshot wounds require an assessment of the organs at risk and localization of the projectile. This case of a gunshot wound to the thorax with bullet embolization from the left ventricle to the right external carotid artery provides an overview of the imaging in this clinical scenario. Typically, right cardiac perforation results in embolization into the pulmonary vasculature, whereas left cardiac perforation results in embolization into the extremities.