Pulmonary embolism caused by a migrated gunshot projectile.

Pulmonary embolism caused by a foreign body is an exceedingly rare event. We report on a 62 year old woman who suffered a gun shot injury to her left knee with concomitant vascular lacerations. The bullet migrated through the venous system into the pulmonary circulation causing a pulmonary embolism. The projectile remained stationary for ten years. Taking into consideration that she is virtually asymptomatic and that regular follow up examinations showed no further migration of the foreign body, we opted for a conservative venue of management.