Pure ballistic sonic pressure wave lung injury on computed tomography (CT) and plain radiograph

Fadhila Mohd Hanapiah; Ahmad Aizuddin Mohamad Jamali; Mohd Ezane Aziz; Mohd Syazwan Mohktar; Zul Khairul Azwadi Ismail; Mohd Hafizuddin Husin; Bazli Md Yusoff

doi:10.1016/j.radcr.2023.04.058

Pure ballistic sonic pressure wave lung injury on computed tomography (CT) and plain radiograph

Radiol Case Rep. 2023 May 29;18(8):2673-2676. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2023.04.058. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Authors

Fadhila Mohd Hanapiah^{1

2}, Ahmad Aizuddin Mohamad Jamali^{1

2}, Mohd Ezane Aziz^{1

2}, Mohd Syazwan Mohktar³, Zul Khairul Azwadi Ismail^{1

2}, Mohd Hafizuddin Husin^{1

2}, Bazli Md Yusoff^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Radiology Department, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Raja Perempuan Zainab 2, 16150, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
² Radiology Department, Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
³ Radiology Department, Hospital Tawau, Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia.

Abstract

Sonic pressure wave should be taken into consideration in all ballistic injury. We review a young gentleman with ballistic injury of his lateral chest wall. The bullet trajectory passed through the lateral chest wall. Chest radiograph shows a wedge-shaped consolidation adjacent to the wound with blunted right costophrenic angle. Subsequent CT scan confirms the consolidation adjacent to the bullet trajectory. This case report emphasizes on value of CT in ballistic chest trauma and indirect injury caused by the sonic pressure wave of the bullet.

Keywords: Ballistic computed tomography; Ballistic lung injury; Sonic pressure wave.

Publication types

Case Reports