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Case Reports

A Foreign Body in the Heart Due to an Unusual Injury

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic

Accepted for publication January 22, 2009.

^_* Address correspondence to Dr Holubec, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Charles University Hospital, Sokolska 581, Hradec Kralove, 500 05, Czech Republic (Email: tomasholubec{at}email.cz).

Penetrating heart injuries are immediate life-threatening situations. We present a case report of a 44-year-old man with a foreign body in his right heart. The injury happened while the man was working with a circular saw 15 months prior to the actual diagnosis. With respect to the size of the foreign body, its close proximity to the right coronary artery, the potential risk of bleeding, embolization, endocarditis or pericarditis, surgical therapy was indicated in spite of the fact that the patient was asymptomatic. The foreign body (a spring-segment of a roller blind) was successfully removed.