title: Delayed cardiac rupture due to blunt chest trauma.
abstract: A 7-year-old boy fell from a 2.5-m height and suffered contusion of the thorax with hematoma in the soft tissues of the lateral chest wall. The rib cage itself remained intact. After 3 days, there was only local pressure sensitivity of the left hemithorax. On day 8 after the trauma, the child, who up to then had seemed to be in good health, suddenly died during lessons at school. Autopsy revealed a full-thickness rupture of the left ventricle with resultant cardiac tamponade. The macroscopic and histopathologic findings are presented and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Freiburg/Br.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pollak
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stellwag-Carion
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D000058:Accidental Falls; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000293:injuries; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology