title: Transoral extraction of an intramuscularly retained bullet.
abstract: Severity of injury resulting from facial firearm wounds varies according to many factors. The correct management of these lesions can be complex, and each can present peculiarities.In this paper, we report a case of a patient affected by a limited mouth opening caused by a penetrating injury of the mandible angle by a large-caliber bullet retained in the contralateral medial pterygoid muscle. The limited mouth opening did not allow the performance of traditional intubation, and the bullet's location in the muscle tissue imposed a careful surgical approach without determining any displacement of it and consequently more damages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Odontostomatological and Maxillofacial Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sammartino
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marenzi
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mortellaro
mesh_terms: D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008338:Mandibular Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult