title: Congenital absence of pericardium as unusual cause of T wave abnormalities in a young athlete.
abstract: The congenital absence of pericardium is a rare condition which may determine electrocardiographic ST-T abnormalities. The case of a 16-year-old athlete who presented T-wave abnormalities at standard electrocardiogram performed during a physical checkup is reported. Ventricular repolarization tended to normalize during exercise and in right lateral decubitus. Chest x-ray and echocardiography showed typical signs of complete absence of the left pericardium. The definite diagnosis was made by computer tomography (CT) scan. The importance of a complete investigation of athletes with T-wave abnormalities is emphasized. Diagnostic and therapeutic features of the congenital absence of pericardium are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Pasquale
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruffini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piolanti
authors.forename: P I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Gambari
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roversi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pinelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010496:Pericardium / Q000002:abnormalities*; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed