Abstract
A case of congenital absence of left pericardium. A 14-year-old girl with a bronchogenic cyst associated with funnel chest and congenital complete absence of the left pericardium was operated on for recurrent infection of the left lung.
The complete absence of the left pericardium was found accidentally during surgery. Left upper lobectomy was performed without difficulty but nothing for the pericardial lesion.
She developed a cardiac arrest immedidiately her position was changed from right recumbency to supine position when surgery ended.
We resuscitated and reopend the chest for cardiac massage and repaired the defect of pericardium using two pieces of Gore-Tex@ sheets for artificial pericardium.
Unfortunately she died 9 hours after re-operation, her death was caused by cardiogenic shock and lung edema.
Congenital absence of the left pericardium is rare and asymptomatic, so it is very dificult to diagnose before surgery. Usually there is no need for surgical treatment. However when necessary the pericardial absence must be repaired to prevent a dislocation of the heart after pneumonectomy or lobectomy.
