Sudden death from contusion of the right atrium after blunt chest trauma: case report and review of the literature.
Occult cardiac injury following blunt trauma is more common than generally suspected. Myocardial lesions range from myocardial contusion to cardiac rupture. Myocardial contusion is not uncommon, it is usually a benign disorder which often remains undiagnosed. We report the case of a previously healthy 29-year-old man who was involved in a fight and suffered from blunt heart injury leading to contusion of the right atrium. The patient died soon after the injury and before admission to the Hospital. The diagnosis was made at autopsy. The present case is of special interest because of the unusual eliciting event and the rarity of the contusion site (right atrium). It is reported in order to raise the index of suspicion in physicians treating patients involved in a fight and aid in prompt diagnosis of myocardial contusion.
Vougiouklakis
Theodore
T
Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, P.O. Box 1186, 451 10 Ioannina, Greece. tvujuk@cc.uoi.gr
Peschos
Dimitrios
D
Doulis
Apostolos
A
Batistatou
Anna
A
Mitselou
Antigone
A
Agnantis
Niki J
NJ
D000328:Adult; D003288:Contusions / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014754:Violence; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology