The Unfortunate Case of a Pulmonary Artery Bullet Embolism

Bullet embolism is a rare occurrence, and the relative paucity of literature makes the management of a bullet embolism challenging. There is a lack of information to help guide the treatment of this pathology. This case details a patient who suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh and was subsequently found to have a retained bullet in the left pulmonary arterial vasculature. The patient remained asymptomatic and was managed conservatively without complication. Treatment of venous bullet embolism is not well studied, given the limited examples in the current literature; however, this case suggests that observation alone is appropriate in an asymptomatic patient.