Post-traumatic fracture-dislocation of the humeral head with intrathoracic migration: A case report

Abstract

Introduction : Severe trauma is a frequent condition encountered in Emergency department (ED) in which vital prognosis can easily be engaged. This condition could be responsible for unusual injuries occurrence. Emergency physician must be aware of these situations where adequate management is urgently required. We report a case of e 45-year-old patient who was admitted to the ED after a high velocity road traffic accident resulting in multiple injuries and fracture dislocation and migrating humeral head into intra thoracic position.

Observation : We report the clinical case of a patient aged 45 years without medical history admitted to the ED after being involved in a high-velocity road traffic accident. On clinical presentation, the patient was dyspneic and desaturated on ambient air room, he presented moreover clinical signs of blunt right shoulder trauma and deformation of the 2 thighs. Final screening of injuries by radiological and a tomographic exams retained a polytrauma status with fracture dislocation and migration of humeral head, homolateral hemothorax and double femur fracture. Patient was managed by multidisciplinary surgical approaches

Discusssion et conclusion: We illustrated by this case a very rare post trauma condition represented by a fracture dislocation of the humeral head resulting in an intrathoracic migration and a homolateral hemothorax. This diagnosis was reported only a few times by the literature within last decades and management suffers from lack of treatment guidelines which remain team-dependant. At the very early stage of management and before surgical step, emergency physician must be aware of the possibility of this clinical condition with evolution into some threatening clinical presentations with specific management.