title: Delayed hemopericardium after penetrating chest trauma: thoracoscopic pericardial window as a therapeutic option.
abstract: A 41-year-old male developed a hemothorax after sustaining a stab wound in the right chest. The patient was managed conservatively with thoracostomy tube drainage for 3 days and was subsequently discharged home. Two weeks later the patient returned to the hospital with pleuritic chest pain and shortness of breath. Imaging studies revealed a right-sided pleural effusion and an enlarged cardiac silhouette, which was consistent with pericardial effusion as per ultrasonography. Thoracoscopic exploration revealed an enlarged heart, that following pericardiotomy drained 400 mL of frank blood. Subsequently, cardiac contractility improved, and no further bleeding was evident.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. caceres_manuel@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caceres
authors.forename: Kennan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Buechter
authors.forename: Jaime A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D010491:Pericardial Window Techniques; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014951:Wounds, Stab