[Gunshot injuries of the brain caused by air pressure guns]

Abstract

The article describes the historical and legal basis, as well as the ballistic criteria of injuries caused by air-rifle shots to the head. Six of our own cases of craniocerebral air-gun pellet injuries are discussed and critically assessed, using the results communicated in other papers as the basis of the discussion. The different post-traumatic complications, including the histopathological reaction of the brain to lead-pellets, are considered. The literature is reviewed and the indications for stereotactic removal or craniotomy of intracranial air-gun pellets are discussed. Air rifles, while occasionally the cause of serious head injuries, are rarely thought of as lethal weapons. However, this article illustrates the potential penetrating power of the air-gun pellet, a fact not always appreciated by physicians.