title: A foreign body in the heart due to an unusual injury.
abstract: Penetrating heart injuries are immediate life-threatening situations. We present a case report of a 44-year-old man with a foreign body in his right heart. The injury happened while the man was working with a circular saw 15 months prior to the actual diagnosis. With respect to the size of the foreign body, its close proximity to the right coronary artery, the potential risk of bleeding, embolization, endocarditis or pericarditis, surgical therapy was indicated in spite of the fact that the patient was asymptomatic. The foreign body (a spring-segment of a roller blind) was successfully removed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harrer
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Holubec
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brtko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D004452:Echocardiography; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals