A journey straight through the heart: the story of a bullet

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Trauma Surgery
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Penetrating cardiac trauma, such as from a gunshot wound, can lead to delayed complications.
• Shunt malformations are an uncommon sequela of cardiac injuries.

Observation:

• A patient with a history of cardiac gunshot at age 13 presented with symptoms of congestive heart failure 25 years post-injury.
• Long-term echocardiographic evaluation was performed to assess ventricular function.

Findings:

• The patient developed shunt malformations secondary to the prior cardiac gunshot.
• Progressive deterioration of ventricular function was observed over two decades.

Implications:

• This case underscores the potential for rare, late-onset cardiac complications following penetrating chest trauma.
• Long-term monitoring is crucial for patients with a history of cardiac gunshot injuries to detect delayed ventricular dysfunction.