In-utero gunshot wound to the head. Use of intraoperative ultrasonography for localization of an intracerebral projectile.

Approaching full gestational age, a 1700-g male fetus sustained a penetrating gunshot wound to the left parietal region of the head while in utero. The child was delivered by emergency caesarean section. Initially in profound fetal shock and with almost no neurological function, the child was eventually stabilized. A posttraumatic intracerebral porencephalic cyst developed, with the projectile moving freely within the confines of the cyst cavity. Six weeks after the initial injury, the patient underwent an operation for extraction of the projectile. The Neuro SectOR ATL ultrasound probe was used intraoperatively and was instrumental in determining the exact position of the intracerebral projectile.