Luxatio cordis due to right pericardium tear, a difficult diagnosis: report of a case

Abstract

Surgery by repositioning the heart and repairing the pericardial tear allowed restoration of hemodynamic equilibrium.

Chest Trauma Associated with Heart Dislodgement

“…In other cases, the heart dislodgement became evident only after the extubation of the patient because removal of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) allowed the heart to rotate. 8 Again, in our case, heart dislodgement was already evident as seen from chest radiography 1 hour after intubation and PEEP application. Thus, even if PEEP removal may induce heart rotation, its presence does not prevent heart from rotating.…”

Left Cardiac Luxation Caused by a Blunt Chest Trauma: A Difficult Diagnosis Confirmed on Chest Computed Tomography Scan—Two Case Reports

“…2,10,11,15 Cardiac luxation may not be present immediately because artificial ventilation with a positive pression prevents the heart dislodgment. 2,13,17 In our two patients, we may hypothesize that the large vacuity of the left pleural space secondary to the worsened pneumothorax allowed the heart to herniate several hours after the trauma.…”

Luxation of the heart in blunt thorax trauma

“…1 Left sided herniation is more frequently than to the right side which may be combined with strangulation of the great vessels. 2,5 Review of the literature shows that rupture of pericardium with dislocation of the heart was often diagnosed delayed or accidentally in asymptomatic patients. 1,7 Routine tests including baseline chest radiography; electrocardiography, measurement of heart enzyme levels and echocardiography should be performed as soon as possible and repeated serially, because delayed rupture of papillary muscle is relatively common.…”