Brachial artery rupture

Case contributed by Ian Bickle
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Penetrating injury to arm during gardening.

Patient Data

Age: 40 years
Gender: Male
x-ray

6 mm hyperdense foreign body in the deep soft tissues of the medial aspect of the upper arm.   

Soft tissue swelling of the adjacent upper arm.

No bony injury. 

ct

6 mm metallic foreign body in the soft tissues on the medial aspect of the upper arm just proximal to the shoulder.

Large focus of contrast extravasation in the medial aspect of the upper arm adjacent to the foreign body, consistent with active hemorrhage from the brachial artery.

Subcutaneous and intramuscular edema, in the context blood.

Case Discussion

This case illustrates a traumatic rupture of the brachial artery from foreign body penetration.

The patient was transferred to a tertiary center for future management.  

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