Citation

Guerrero A, Vassallo DJ. Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 2010; 31(4): 388-389.

Affiliation

Intertrauma Medical Consulting, New York, NY; and Johannesburg Trauma Unit, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/PAF.0b013e3181fc357d

PMID

21063199

Abstract

We present a case from the Johannesburg General Hospital of a zone II low-velocity penetrating neck injury with involvement of the ipsilateral subclavian artery. When the "bullet" was retrieved, it was noted not to be an actual bullet but rather a cartridge casing. We speculate that this injury represents one of several possible misfiring scenarios from a homemade firearm.

Injuries from homemade firearms are infrequent in the literature, and only one other similar case of a cartridge casing causing a penetrating injury was found. A brief review of homemade handheld firearms is offered.

Language: en