Intracardiac needle in a man with self-injurious behaviour presenting with only a heart murmur.
Symptoms of a heart murmur in a 48-year-old male schizophrenic patient with self-injurious behaviour were investigated. Immediately noticeable were multiple scars on his hands. Clinical evidence of subcutaneous needles and aortic regurgitation was found. Echocardiography revealed a linear metallic foreign body across the interventricular septum. He underwent surgery and via a right atriotomy, a needle from the same location was removed.
Jagmeet
P S
PS
Department of Cardiology, KEM Hospital, Parel, Bombay, India.
D'Silva
S
S
Lokhandwala
Y Y
YY
Dalvi
B V
BV
D004452:Echocardiography; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006321:Heart; D006337:Heart Murmurs / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009339:Needles; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000150:complications*