Pulmonary contusion with hemoptysis from lacrosse ball strike: A case report

Abstract

Lacrosse, a sport of increasing popularity, is played with netted sticks and a firm rubber ball propelled at speeds frequently reaching over 100 miles/hour. While lacrosse injuries have been previously described, little published literature exists on lacrosse balls causing pulmonary contusion. We present a case of a 17-year-old male lacrosse player athlete who suffered a lacrosse ball strike to the left posterolateral chest, leading to a clinical presentation of local bruising, shortness of breath, and hemoptysis. Despite delayed arrival to the emergency room, where imaging revealed pulmonary contusion, multidisciplinary supportive management led to favorable clinical outcome with no residual effect on athletic ability and quality of life. Although pulmonary contusion may be a rare injury in the setting of thoracic trauma from lacrosse ball strikes, prompt evaluation and a high index of suspicion can rule out more life-threatening processes and ensure an excellent clinical prognosis.

Keywords: Athlete injury; Chest wall injury; Pulmonary contusion; Sports injury; Sports medicine; Sports trauma; Thoracic trauma.

Fig. 1

Computed tomography scan, lung windows, in both axial (left) and coronal (right) planes showing focal, non-segmental areas of parenchymal opacification at the site of injury, consistent with pulmonary contusion. In the axial plane, a small rim of pleural sparing is visible, a typical feature in pulmonary contusion.