Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An unusual case of thoracic impalement injury with severe pleural adhesion

  • Case Report
  • Published:
General Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Thoracic impalement injury is an uncommon form of trauma. In the present report, we describe the case of a 78-year-old man who was injured by 2 metal rods. We decided to remove the rod on the right side by performing video-assisted thoracic surgery. However, during this procedure, total pleural adhesion was identified. Therefore, a mini-thoracotomy was performed and the rod was removed safely; the patient’s postoperative course was uneventful. The rod on the left side did not pass through the thoracic cavity. There are only a few reports of thoracic impalement injury in literature, and cases with total pleural adhesion are very rare. Careful preoperative planning and a multidisciplinary approach are essential for managing this type of injury.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cartwright AJ, Taams KO, Unsworth-White MJ, Mahmood N, Murphy PM. Suicidal nonfatal impalement injury of the thorax. Ann Thorac Surg. 2001;72:1364–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Hyde MR, Schmidt CA, Jacobson JG, Vyhmeister EE, Laughlin LL. Impalement injuries to the thorax as a result of motor vehicle accidents. Ann Thorac Surg. 1987;43:189–90.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Fradet G, Nelems B, Muller NL. Penetrating injury of the torso with impalement of the thoracic aorta: pre-operative value of the computed tomographic scan. Ann Thorac Surg. 1988;45:680–1.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Chui WH, Cheung DL, Chiu SW, Lee WT, He GW. A non-fatal impalement injury of the thorax. J R Coll Surg Edinb. 1998;43:419–21.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Lang-Lazdunski L, Mouroux J, Pons F, Grosdidier G, Martinod E, Elkaim D, et al. Role of videothoracoscopy in chest trauma. Ann Thorac Surg. 1997;63:327–33.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Manlulu AV, Lee TW, Thung KH, Wong R, Yim APC. Current indications and results of VATS in the evaluation and management of hemodynamically stable thoracic injuries. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2004;25:1048–53.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, to declare.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo General Hospital, Ebisu 2-34-10, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0013, Japan

    Tetsuya Yokosuka, Toshiko Kobayashi, Michimasa Fujiogi, Masayo Kawakami & Masamichi Yasuno

Authors
  1. Tetsuya Yokosuka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Toshiko Kobayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michimasa Fujiogi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Masayo Kawakami
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Masamichi Yasuno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tetsuya Yokosuka.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yokosuka, T., Kobayashi, T., Fujiogi, M. et al. An unusual case of thoracic impalement injury with severe pleural adhesion. Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 63, 298–301 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11748-013-0296-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11748-013-0296-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation