Pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium following blunt chest trauma are rare. Diagnosis is by chest radiograph and CT Scan. They have to be identified and treated accordingly. Usually, pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium are self-limiting requiring no specific therapy. However, vigilance and a continuous monitoring of the vital signs are necessary.
Pericardial rupture after blunt chest trauma is described in the literature. This case report summarises our experience with a 22-year old male patient who suffered blunt chest trauma during a motor vehicle accident. On admission no serious injuries could be detected, but 3 hours later, displacement of the heart to the right hemithorax combined with sudden cardiac failure appeared. Emergency thoracotomy revealed a right-sided rupture of the pericardium with complete herniation of the heart into the right pleural cavity and consequent strangulation by the margins of the pericardial defect.
A 20-year-old male sustained an inferior myocardial infarction following blunt chest trauma, after a motor vehicle accident. Though coronary arteriograms 9 months later were normal, LV angiography revealed severe hypokinesia of the inferobasal and diaphragmatic segments. The literature is reviewed with respect to mechanisms of injury, autopsy and angiographic findings and clinical outcome in this condition.