title: An Unusual Case of Needle Embolus Presenting With Delayed Spontaneous Pneumothorax.
abstract: We report the case of a 39-year-old man presenting with an acute right-sided traumatic pneumothorax secondary to migration of a hypodermic needle fractured during intravenous drug use. We discuss the unusual passage of this foreign body from the left groin to the right ventricular wall and into the mediastinum, ultimately presenting with a right pneumothorax 1 year later.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: May
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Sahaf
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harling
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harrison-Phipps
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: andrea.bille@gstt.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bille
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D004617:Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000601:surgery; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D035583:Rare Diseases; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications*; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome