The case of the disappearing bullet: An extraluminal compression of the biliary tree

Abstract

Penetrating abdominal injuries, especially from gun shot wounds, are a common occurrence in South African hospitals, and a vast majority of these patient receive surgical intervention for suspected intra-abdominal injuries. Not all bullets are found and removed however, and we detail the case of a gentleman who presented to our institution with obstructive jaundice secondary to an extraluminal compression of his biliary tree by a retained migrated bullet, that spontaneously resolved, without any surgical intervention.