The cardiac migration of a Kirschner wire. A case report
Related Experiment Videos
1Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zagreb, Croatia.
Insights
A rare case of a Kirschner wire migrating to the heart occurred in a patient after hip surgery. The 5-cm metal foreign body was successfully removed from the right ventricle via open-heart surgery.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- A 48-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain.
- The patient had previously undergone bilateral hip replacement surgery for coxarthrosis.
Observation:
- Chest X-ray revealed a metallic foreign body in the heart.
- Hip radiography confirmed the absence of the foreign body in the surgical site.
- Echocardiography localized the foreign body, identified as a Kirschner wire, within the right ventricle.
Findings:
- A 5-cm Kirschner wire was found to have embolized intracardiacly.
- The wire was successfully removed from the right ventricle through a right atriotomy during open-heart surgery.
Implications:
- This case represents a unique instance of intracardiac Kirschner wire embolization.
- Highlights the importance of thorough imaging and diagnostic workup for unexplained symptoms post-orthopedic surgery.
Abstract:
In June of 1995, a 48-year-old woman was admitted to an outlying hospital with a history of stomach pain several weeks in duration. A few years before, she had undergone orthopedic surgery because of bilateral coxarthrosis. Total endoprosthesis had been implanted at both hips. Chest radiography showed a metal foreign body (apparently a Kirschner wire) in the heart, whereas right-hip radiography showed no Kirschner wire. Echocardiography indicated that the wire was in the right ventricle. The patient underwent open-heart surgery, and the 5-cm-long Kirschner wire was removed from the right ventricle through a right atriotomy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only reported instance of intracardiac embolization of a Kirschner wire.