Intrapericardial pericardial cyst presenting as syncope: A case report

Abstract

We report a rare case of intrapericardial pericardial cyst in a 37-year-old female who was initially referred to a previous hospital with a chief complaint of syncope. Chest CT showed a cystic mass in the pericardial cavity, which compressed the right atrium.

She was diagnosed with an intrapericardial cystic mass with bradycardia and syncope, and referred to our institution for surgery.

Before the operation, we implanted a temporary pacemaker to prevent bradycardia, and thoracoscopic fenestration of the cyst wall was performed.

Intraoperatively, after fenestration, the contents of the cyst were drainaged, and elevation of the heart rate was observed (40→60 bpm). The pathological finding was a pericardial cyst.

While resected cases of pericardial cyst are sometimes reported, those with symptoms are rare, and so we report this case.