SPONTANEOUS MIGRATION OF A BULLET ALONG HEMISPHERE: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

We report the case of a 45-year-old man with a gunshot injury as an example of spontaneous migration of a metallic foreign body within the brain. Initial computed tomography showed the bullet in the right frontal region. In the control scan of the restorative surgery, radiological examination revealed that the bullet had migrated posteriorly due to the effect of gravity, lodging in the entrance hole of posy parietal lobe. Although there are a few literature reports of spontaneous migration of a bullet within the brain, this case was unique as the patient was fully conscious and need to second operation to prevent any neurological deficit.

Keywords

• Bullet
• firearm injury
• migration

References

1. Ozdemir M, Unlü A. Gunshot injuries due to celebratory gun shootings. Turk Neurosurg
2. ;19:73-6.
3. Arasil E, Taşçioğlu AO. Spontaneous migration of an intracranial bullet to the cervical spinal
4. canal causing Lhermitte’s sign. Case report. J Neurosurg 1982;56:158-9.
5. FarrugiaA,RaulJS,GérautA,LudesB.Ricochetofabullet in the spinal canal: a case report and
6. review of the literature on bullet migration. J Forensic Sci 2010;55:1371-4.
7. Ozkan U, Ozateş M, Kemaloğlu S, Güzel A. Spontaneous migration of a bullet into the brain.
8. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2006;108:573-5.

9. Fujimoto Y, Cabrera HT, Pahl FH, de Andrade AF, Marino JR. Spontaneous migration of a
10. bullet in the cerebellum case report. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 2001;41:499-501.
11. Kumar R, Garg P, Maurya V, Sahu RN, Mahapatra AK. Spontaneous bullet migrationuncommon
12. sequelae of firearm injury to the brain. Ind J Neurotrauma 2008;5:119-21.
13. Duman H, Ziyal IM, Canpolat A. Spontaneous subfalcial transcallosal migration of a missile
14. to the contralateral hemi- sphere causing deterioration in neurological status-case report. Neurol Med
15. Chir (Tokyo) 2002;42:332-3.