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Needle fragment embolism into the right ventricle: a rare cause of chest pain case report and literature review

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Summary

Chest pain in young adults is usually self-limited and of benign etiology. However, rare causes of chest pain must be considered in patients for whom initial diagnostic tests are negative, particularly if unusual risk factors are identified. The authors present a rare case describing a 27-year-old male intravenous drug user who developed transient chest pain most likely secondary to pericardial irritation caused by a needle fragment that embolized from a peripheral vein to his right ventricle. The current literature on intracardiac needles and similar foreign bodies is discussed, providing insight to the epidemiology, complications, and treatment of such patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 2nd Department of Medicine—Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, U Nemocnice 2, 128 08, Prague 2, Czech Republic

    Barbara Anna Danek, Petr Kuchynka MD, PhD, Tomas Palecek MD, PhD, Eduard Nemecek MD, Jana Podzimkova MD & Ales Linhart MD, PhD

  2. International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic

    Petr Kuchynka MD, PhD & Tomas Palecek MD, PhD

  3. Department of Radiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

    Vladimir Cerny MD & Lukas Lambert MD, PhD

  4. Department of Cardiology Bulovka, Prague, Czech Republic

    Karel Hlavacek MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Barbara Anna Danek
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  2. Petr Kuchynka MD, PhD
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  3. Tomas Palecek MD, PhD
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  4. Vladimir Cerny MD
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  8. Jana Podzimkova MD
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  9. Ales Linhart MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Petr Kuchynka MD, PhD.

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Danek, B., Kuchynka, P., Palecek, T. et al. Needle fragment embolism into the right ventricle: a rare cause of chest pain case report and literature review. Wien Klin Wochenschr 128, 215–220 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-015-0811-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-015-0811-x

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