Penetrated arrow shot injury in anterior neck

Although gunshot injuries are the most common penetrating anterior neck injuries in the developed world, this finding is not the case in the developing world, where knives, spears, arrows, and machetes are the preferred weapons, particularly in tribal societies.

To present the case report of a patient with arrow shot injury to the anterior neck.

A 48 year old cattle rearer in a village in northern part of Nigeria presented with 3 hr history of an arrow shot in anterior part of the neck which he sustained the while trying to prevent some armed robbers from stealing his cow. There was scanty bleeding from the site with the arrow in-situ sealing the wound.

The entrance point of the arrow, about 1 cm in diameter, was just at the anterior border of the right sternocleidomastoid muscle; about 4 cm above the medial end of the right clavicle. There was a small skin bruise with slight swelling and tenderness around the opening but no active bleeding and no crepitus.

Penetrating neck trauma from arrow shot may lead to potentially life-threatening injuries. A prompt diagnosis, a systematic treatment protocol, and an experienced trauma team are necessary to prevent a potential catastroph.