Needle in the heart: a rare case of cardiac tamponade caused by a migrated foreign body and mimicking ST segment elevation myocardial infarction

Child abuse with multiple sharp foreign bodies penetrating the chest wall causing hemothorax and cardiac tamponade in two separate occasions: Case report

We present a case of repeated child abuse causing left-sided hemothorax and cardiac tamponade on two separate occasions. A 14-year-old cerebral palsy male presented with left-sided hemothorax and multiple metallic foreign bodies in the chest wall managed by small limited incision, removal of the foreign bodies and chest tube. One week later, he came to our emergency department (ER) with multiple chest wall foreign bodies and tamponade managed by median sternotomy, removal of the foreign bodies, one of them was in the LAD. He had a smooth postoperative course and the case is under investigation.

Migrating Foreign Body in the Heart

Foreign bodies in the heart are a rare condition and an exact mechanism for this occurrence has not been well described. These objects can reach the heart by direct penetration due to local trauma or through intravenous migration or may remain in the heart after medical procedures. The most common foreign bodies that reach the heart are bullets and shrapnel. The purpose of this study is to review a case where a patient injected himself with recreational drugs. The needle subsequently dislodged from the syringe and migrated into the heart.

Removal of sewing needles from interventricular septum under the guidance of multiple imaging modalities

BACKGROUND

Penetration of the interventricular septum (IVS) by a sharp foreign body is a rare and potentially life-threatening event.

METHODS

We present the case of a 43-year-old female who had thrust four embroidery needles into her left chest wall while experiencing hallucinations after using an illegal drug. One needle had penetrated the heart and was embedded in the IVS, as confirmed by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and one needle had lodged in the left chest wall.

RESULTS

The sewing needles penetrating the IVS and chest wall were successfully removed under the guidance of TEE and a cardiopulmonary bypass without cross-clamping the aorta or opening the heart.

CONCLUSION

The sewing needles embedded in the IVS and left chest wall were successfully removed with the aid of multiple imaging modalities.