Italian man shot in head sneezes out bullet

A reveller shot in the head amazed doctors by sneezing out the bullet and is expected to make a full recovery with no lasting harm.

Darco Sangermano, 28, was accidentally shot during a New Year's Eve party in Naples as he celebrated with his girlfriend. The bullet entered his head through his temple, breaking the temporal bone and passing behind his eye, before coming to rest in his nose.

Mr Sangermano was one of three people shot during the celebrations in Naples. One person died from their injuries.

He was taken to hospital and while waiting to see a doctor, the bullet popped out of his right nostril. After receiving a check-up, Mr Sangermano was discharged.

His girlfriend, who has not been named, said: "He's been very lucky and we're grateful he is going to be OK. We were walking along when there were some bangs and he said he felt a pain in his head – when I looked, he was covered in blood."

Doctors operated on Mr Sangermano's nose to remove bone fragments and stitched his wounds. He is also to undergo surgery on his eye to repair a damaged retina.

"This is a very strange case and the first of its kind that I am aware of, certainly in Italy," said Professor Sid Berrone, who saw Mr Sangermano. "He was a very lucky man. He could easily have been killed."