Abstract
A 41-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of penetrating medulla oblongata injury and heart injury caused by sewing needles. The patient attempted suicide by piercing the back of his neck and the left side of his chest with three needles each measuring about 3cm in length. His vital sign was stable depened on closed drainage of thoracic cavity for pneumothorax. Neurological examination showed no abnormal findings. Computed tomography of the head and the chest showed that the tip of one needle reached the back of the medulla oblongata and the other needles existed in the thoracic wall and the cardiac ventricle. Cerebral angiograms did not show any abnormal findings. Emergency surgery was performed under Xray fluoroscopy. These needles were removed after cautious exploration of the wound by first prone position and then lateral position, because of the possibility of medulla oblongata injury. The postoperative course was uneventful penetrating medulla oblongata injury is very rare. Here, we discuss the findings in the present case along with previous reports and management of penetrating brain injury.
