Air rifle injury with an entrance through the nose: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract.

A case of attempted homicide is reported where a 31-year-old woman was shot in the left nostril with a pellet from an air rifle. The projectile channel reconstruction showed penetration of the nasal septum, the maxillary and sphenoid cavities and the dura mater, with the pellet finally lodging in the anterior cranial fossa between the sinus cavernosus and the internal carotid artery. The patient was finally discharged from hospital in a good physical condition without any neurological symptoms. Although the muzzle velocity of the air rifle was within the legal limits, the present case demonstrates the potential lethality of air weapons considering the site of entrance of the pellet.