Denied Suicide Attempt: Penetrating Cranial Cerebral Injury with a Nail Gun

Abstract

Penetrating craniocerebral injuries with a nail gun are uncommon. In this article, we describe a highly unusual delayed presentation of a 49-year-old man after an initially unnoticed penetrating head injury with an air-powered nail gun. The nail was successfully surgically removed, and the postoperative course was uneventful. Further evaluation revealed that the penetrating craniocerebral nail gun injury was a suicide attempt and not an accident. Possible reasons for the initial unrecognition of the injury and denial of the suicide attempt were discussed.

Keywords

nail gun - head trauma - penetrating head injury

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