Management of a Complex Craniofacial Injury Following a Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound

Suicide attempts are tragic and complex events that often require immediate and interdisciplinary treatment to achieve the best possible outcome. We present the case of a 57-year-old male who attempted suicide with an assault rifle in the presence of his family. He had a long history of depression and had discontinued his prescribed antidepressant medication. Following a family conflict, he attempted suicide by firing a shot that entered the submental region, shattered the mandible, bypassed the maxilla, destroyed most of the nasal and frontonasal structures, and exited through the frontal lobe and frontal bone. Such cases are rare in current medical practice. We describe the acute and interdisciplinary management of this severe craniofacial injury caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.