title: Congenital absence of anterior pericardium at left ventricular assist device implantation.
abstract: We report a case of congenital absence of the anterior pericardium in a 41-year-old man who was undergoing implantation of a left ventricular assist device for treatment of congestive heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiopulmonary Transplantation, Texas Heart Institute, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. messgreg@netscape.net
authors.forename: Gregory N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Messner
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prendergast
authors.forename: Yasmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wadia
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Igor D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Gregoric
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Flamm
authors.forename: O H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Frazier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010496:Pericardium / Q000002:abnormalities*; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000601:surgery*