title: Isolated rupture of the left atrial appendage after blunt chest trauma.
abstract: Traumatic cardiac damage is caused by penetrating or blunt injury.The majority of disruptures in blunt trauma are the result of deceleration traumas. We present the case of an 8-year-old boy who fell off his horse. Afterwards the horse stepped on his chest. He was successfully treated for pericardial tamponade due to an isolated left appendage rupture. The lesion was probably caused by a sudden elevated intra-atrial blood pressure during chest compression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, St Dimpna Hospital, Geel, Belgium. hermanskurt@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hermans
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meyns
mesh_terms: D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000293:injuries*; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery