Ballistic Injury Imaging: The Basics

This article seeks to increase radiologists ’ knowledge of the pathophysiology of GSW and will review the mechanism of ballistic injury and relate these to commonly encountered imaging findings.Important PointsBallistic injuries are a combination of the direct injury caused by the bullet along its path through the tissues and the shockwave created around that path as the bullet expends its energy. CT is the gold standard in ballistic injury assessment. MRI is not contraindicated in patients with retained ballistic fragments, but should be used with caution. The number of entry/exit wound and the number of retained ballistic fragments should be an even number, or there is a missing surface wound or a missing bullet. Retained lead in joints can result in plumbism and arthropathy.SummaryAs most radiologists will encounter a ballistic injury in the course of their careers, an understanding of this unique mechanism of injury and its complications will aid in both imaging interpretation and patient care.
Source: Current Radiology Reports - Category: Radiology Source Type: research