Gunshot bullet embolisation in the middle cerebral artery.

Bullet embolism (BE) is a rare phenomenon following a gunshot wound. A middle cerebral artery BE was detected in a 36-year-old male patient following a perforating left thoracic gunshot wound without obvious cranial injury. This paper discusses a case of BE in the cranial circulation in conjunction with a review of the relevant literature.

Medicolegal consequences of thoracic gossypiboma: A case report.

The term gossypiboma is used to describe a retained surgical sponge after operation. It is a rare but it is associated with severe medical and legal consequences. The diagnosis can be missed despite radiological investigations. We report a case of a 15-year-old female who presented with fever, cough, dyspnea and hemoptysis. She had a history of hydatid cyst operation 2 years ago. Post-discharge follow up occurred for two years on hospital where hydatid cyst surgery had been done. Radiological investigations were inconclusive in detecting the retained sponge despite radiopaque marker. So gossypiboma should be kept in mind as a differential diagnosis in postoperative cases presenting as persistent respiratory symptoms after the operation.

Fatal pulmonary thromboembolism.

OBJECTIVE: Venous thromboembolism is a complex, multifactorial disease, involving interactions between acquired or inherited predispositions to thrombosis and various risk factors, such as trauma and surgery. This study investigated the clinical features and most important risk factors of fatal pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forensic records stored at the Council of Forensic Medicine, Ministry of Justice in Istanbul, Turkey, from January 2010 to December 2014 were screened for deaths of confirmed PTE based on autopsy or computed tomography (CT). Massive pulmonary embolism was the main cause of death in all patients. RESULTS: The 51 cases with PTE comprised 22 (43.2%) males and 29 (56.8%) females. A diagnosis of PTE was established by autopsy in 76.6% (39/51) of the cases. Overall, 23 (45%) suffered multiple trauma and 14 (27.5%) underwent surgery. The mean time from surgery to death was 10.2 ±6.8 days. Of the trauma cases, 78% (18/23) comprised orthopaedic trauma. Death occurred in 74% of the cases after the second week following trauma. Of the trauma and surgery cases, 95.6 and 71.4% were outpatients at the time of death, respectively. The origin of the PTE was known in 34.8% and 57% of the trauma and surgery cases, respectively. The mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 11.3 ± 7.6. An abbreviated injury score (AIS) extremity ≥3 was seen in 23% (4/18) of the extremity trauma cases. The time to death of the patients who underwent surgery was shorter than in the patients who experienced trauma (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A high ISS is not a determinant of fatal PTE. Immobilization is important in the occurrence of PTE, especially in trauma patients. Frequent follow-up after discharge should inquire about complaints related to PTE and the use of protective precautions.

Intense FDG uptake on PET/CT in the upper and lower respiratory system indicative of Wegener's granulomatosis.

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is an uncommon systemic vasculitis, which involves the upper and lower respiratory tracts and the kidneys. Because the patients generally present with clinical manifestations that are similar to common diseases, WG may be initially misdiagnosed as infection or malignancy. We report the case of a 55-year-old male presenting with weight loss, cough, hemoptysis, low-grade fever, and pulmonary nodules detected on the thoracic CT scan. Malignancy was initially suspected, so a PET/CT was performed. It demonstrated intense FDG uptake in the upper and lower respiratory system. The diagnosis of WG was based on PET findings, elevated serum levels of inflammatory markers, and the presence of c-ANCA. We consider that the knowledge of FDG-PET/CT findings may help to make an easier and earlier diagnosis of WG.