Non-fatal Bihemispheric Penetrating Brain Injury from a Crossbow Arrow with Good Clinical Outcome: Case Report

Crossbow injuries to the head have seldom been reported in the literature, and they represent a unique type of penetrating brain injury (PBI) in which a low-velocity arrow results in an intracranial fragment larger than most high-velocity projectiles, usually with a lethal outcome.We present the case of a 34-year-oldman who attempted suicide with a self-inflicted cranial injury from a crossbow arrow, with a right parietal point of entry and a palpable subcutaneous tip in the left parietal region. The emergency team reported a Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score of 15, and the patient was brought sedated and intubated. Computed tomography (CT) imaging scans showed that the arrow crossed both parietal lobes, with mild subarachnoid hemorrhage and small cerebral contusions adjacent to its intracranial path. Careful retrograde removal of the penetrating arrow was performed in the CT suite, followed by an immediate CT scan, which excluded procedure-related complications. The patient woke up easily and was discharged 3 days later withmild left hand apraxia and no other neurologic deficits. To the best of our knowledge, there are no similar case reports describing both good clinical outcome and rapid discharge after a bihemispheric PBI. Individualizing the management of each patient is therefore crucial to achieve the best possible outcome as PBI cases still represent a major challenge to practicing neurosurgeons worldwide.

Metástasis coroideas: clarinada hacia la nada: presentación de casos icónicos / Choroid metastasis: clarion call toward nothing: presentation of two iconic cases

La metástasis intraoculares de tumores sólidos o hematológicos, son un problema clínico para el oftalmólogo práctico y el oncólogo. La localización más frecuente es la coroides, constituyendo el tumor intraocular más frecuente. Suelen diagnósticarsé en pacientes en estadios tumorales muy avanzados, por lo que en el pasado la mayoría de las series publicadas eran descripciones de necropsias. Su diagnóstico generalmente puede hacerse mediante cuidadoso examen. Se estima que la frecuencia general en pacientes que fallecen por cáncer es de aproximadamente 12%, pero puede elevarse en 37% en aquellos con carcinoma mamario, muy superior a la de los tumores primarios, fundamentalmente los melanomas. No obstante, sin compresión ha aumentado en años recientes ofreciendose nuevas formas de tratamiento siendo todavía la radioterapia la que permite a los pacientes mantener una visión.

Intraocular metastases of solid and hematological tumors are clinical problem for the practicing ophthalmologist and oncologist. Its diagnosis can usually be made through careful examination. The most common intraocular tumor. They are often diagnosed in patients in very advanced tumor stages, which is why in the past most of the published series were descriptions of necropsies. The overall frequency of ocular metastases in patients dying of cancer is approximately 12%, but it can be as high as 37% in patients with breast cancer, highly superior to primary tumors, mainly melanomas. Hawever, our understanding of them has increased in recent years, offering new forms of treatment. Radiation therapy is still the cornerstone of treatment, allowing nost patients to maintain usefull vision. Clinical cases with photographic support of an iconic patient are presented to illustrate the problem.