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Case Reports
. 2025 May;28(3):231-234.
doi: 10.1016/j.cjtee.2023.07.001. Epub 2023 Jul 22.

Shrapnel in carotid sheath: A rare penetrating neck injury

Muhammad Rehan  1 , Savera Anwar  1 , Hadia Wali  2 , Aysha Noor  1 , Omer Ehsan  3 , Shayan Shahid Ansari  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Shrapnel in carotid sheath: A rare penetrating neck injury

Muhammad Rehan et al. Chin J Traumatol. 2025 May.

Abstract

Injuries deeper than the platysma are considered as penetrating neck injuries, constituting approximately 5% - 10% of all trauma. Many vital organs are at risk from a penetrating neck injury. These injuries in zone 1 have the highest mortality, because the injuries are close to the vital organs and difficult to access surgically. A 41-year-old male, a car mechanic by profession, presented to the emergency department with a penetrating neck injury on the right side. CT scan demonstrated a metallic foreign body in zone 1 between the right internal jugular vein and the common carotid artery. The patient was asymptomatic, and the foreign body was removed surgically. This case shows a rare presentation of a penetrating neck injury with a foreign body located in zone 1, where no vital internal structure was injured. As of now, no previous case report has been identified on such presentation. Thus, it will provide a valuable addition to the pre-existing literature.

Keywords: Foreign body neck; Internal jugular vein; Penetrating neck injury; Shrapnel.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Axial and coronal sections of neck showing foreign body on the right side.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Fluoroscopic image of the right side of neck with foreign body.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Fluoroscopic image of neck after the removal of foreign body.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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