Retrograde venous bullet embolism into renal vein

Abstract

The unpredictable nature and behaviour of bullet emboli can pose unique diagnostic and management challenges, related to the absence of exit wounds or variable trajectories. However, embolisation into the vascular system is an extremely unusual occurrence, with fewer than 200 such cases described since 1900. Given the relative paucity of such literature reports, it is not surprising that guidelines for the optimal management of some of these emboli are neither clear cut, nor universally accepted. We report the second case of retrograde venous bullet embolism to the right renal vein following a gunshot injury to the right chest and the surgical solution.