Biomaterial Database

Congenital absence of the pericardium confirmed by spontaneous pneumothorax. 1998

P J Pickhardt

Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington Univ. School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. pickhardtp@mirlink.wustl.edu

This article describes a case of complete absence of the left pericardium which was diagnosed on the chest radiograph and subsequently confirmed on computed tomography and thoracoscopy. Diagnostic confidence was bolstered by the presence of pneumopericardium which communicated via the defect with a spontaneous left pneumothorax. The clinical and imaging findings of pericardial absence are reviewed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D010496	Pericardium	A conical fibro-serous sac surrounding the HEART and the roots of the great vessels (AORTA; VENAE CAVAE; PULMONARY ARTERY). Pericardium consists of two sacs: the outer fibrous pericardium and the inner serous pericardium. The latter consists of an outer parietal layer facing the fibrous pericardium, and an inner visceral layer (epicardium) resting next to the heart, and a pericardial cavity between these two layers.	Epicardium,Fibrous Pericardium,Parietal Pericardium,Pericardial Cavity,Pericardial Space,Serous Pericardium,Visceral Pericardium,Cavities, Pericardial,Cavity, Pericardial,Pericardial Cavities,Pericardial Spaces,Pericardium, Fibrous,Pericardium, Parietal,Pericardium, Serous,Pericardium, Visceral,Pericardiums, Fibrous,Pericardiums, Serous,Serous Pericardiums,Space, Pericardial,Spaces, Pericardial
D011026	Pneumopericardium	Presence of air or gas in the space between the heart and the PERICARDIUM. The degree of respiratory distress depends on the amount of trapped air and circulation blocked in the systemic and pulmonary veins.	Pneumopericardiums
D011030	Pneumothorax	An accumulation of air or gas in the PLEURAL CAVITY, which may occur spontaneously or as a result of trauma or a pathological process. The gas may also be introduced deliberately during PNEUMOTHORAX, ARTIFICIAL.	Pneumothorax, Primary Spontaneous,Pressure Pneumothorax,Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax,Spontaneous Pneumothorax,Tension Pneumothorax,Pneumothorax, Pressure,Pneumothorax, Spontaneous,Pneumothorax, Tension,Spontaneous Pneumothorax, Primary
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D013902	Radiography, Thoracic	X-ray visualization of the chest and organs of the thoracic cavity. It is not restricted to visualization of the lungs.	Thoracic Radiography,Radiographies, Thoracic,Thoracic Radiographies
D014057	Tomography, X-Ray Computed	Tomography using x-ray transmission and a computer algorithm to reconstruct the image.	CAT Scan, X-Ray,CT Scan, X-Ray,Cine-CT,Computerized Tomography, X-Ray,Electron Beam Computed Tomography,Tomodensitometry,Tomography, Transmission Computed,X-Ray Tomography, Computed,CAT Scan, X Ray,CT X Ray,Computed Tomography, X-Ray,Computed X Ray Tomography,Computerized Tomography, X Ray,Electron Beam Tomography,Tomography, X Ray Computed,Tomography, X-Ray Computer Assisted,Tomography, X-Ray Computerized,Tomography, X-Ray Computerized Axial,Tomography, Xray Computed,X Ray Computerized Tomography,X Ray Tomography, Computed,X-Ray Computer Assisted Tomography,X-Ray Computerized Axial Tomography,Beam Tomography, Electron,CAT Scans, X-Ray,CT Scan, X Ray,CT Scans, X-Ray,CT X Rays,Cine CT,Computed Tomography, Transmission,Computed Tomography, X Ray,Computed Tomography, Xray,Computed X-Ray Tomography,Scan, X-Ray CAT,Scan, X-Ray CT,Scans, X-Ray CAT,Scans, X-Ray CT,Tomographies, Computed X-Ray,Tomography, Computed X-Ray,Tomography, Electron Beam,Tomography, X Ray Computer Assisted,Tomography, X Ray Computerized,Tomography, X Ray Computerized Axial,Transmission Computed Tomography,X Ray Computer Assisted Tomography,X Ray Computerized Axial Tomography,X Ray, CT,X Rays, CT,X-Ray CAT Scan,X-Ray CAT Scans,X-Ray CT Scan,X-Ray CT Scans,X-Ray Computed Tomography,X-Ray Computerized Tomography,Xray Computed Tomography