Stab Wound of the Neck with Contralateral Hemo-Pneumothorax

Abstract A rare case of stab wound of the neck with contralateral hemo-pneumothorax with a mediastinal shift is presented. After tube thoracostomy and computed tomography, the patient had angiographic coil embolotherapy of transected internal mammary artery (IMA). Subsequently, neck exploration with the repair of sternocleidomastoid was done. The patient underwent decortication on the 11 th post-operative day for persistent residual hemothorax. IMA transection most often occurs from ipsilateral parasternal stab wounds and rarely from iatrogenic trauma. It is important to recognize the presentation of this rare entity as appropriate aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic interventions may be warranted.