Published in:
01-12-2008 | Brief Report of a Special Case
Indirect gunshot wound to the head
Published in: Acta Neurochirurgica | Issue 12/2008
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Background
An Afghani man presented to a U.S. military facility in Afghanistan with a 3-month history of clear fluid from his left naris and frequent sinusitis. Eleven years earlier, he had been struck in the forehead by an object falling from the sky.
Materials and Methods
Neurologic examination revealed decreased sensation in V1 and V2 on the left side. Imaging revealed a large bullet lodged in the left maxillary sinus.
Findings
The bullet was removed via sublabial incision and opening of the anterior bony wall of the maxillary sinus.
Conclusions
In Afghanistan, indirect gunshot wounds to the head are not uncommon because of the constant war conditions since the invasion by the former Soviet Union in 1979 and the tradition of firing rounds into the air during cultural celebrations.