Successful treatment of penetrating chest injury caused by a crossbow.

A 67-year-old man presented with a crossbow injury sustained in a suicide attempt during which he fixed the crossbow to a table. Although he retired to bed without treatment on the day of the initial injury, his pain increased the following day, and he was admitted to our hospital. On arrival, his vital signs were stable and a 10-mm diameter crossbow arrow that had penetrated the right anterior chest remained in place. Chest computed tomography revealed suspected damage to the right middle lobe, diaphragm, and liver. A right anterior thoracotomy was performed with partial resection of the middle lobe, diaphragm repair, and arrest of hepatic bleeding. There were no complications, and his postoperative course was uneventful. On day 12 after surgery, he was transferred to the psychiatry department of another hospital for treatment of his depression.