title: Blunt trauma to the chest--a case of delayed cardiac rupture.
abstract: Blunt traumatic cardiac rupture is a relatively uncommon diagnosis and is usually associated with a high mortality rate. A case of delayed cardiac rupture is described in an elderly person who sustained blunt chest trauma following a fall into a roadside ditch. In the case reported herein, the preliminary investigations at the time of admission did not show any evidence of haemopericardium. The patient deteriorated suddenly, possibly due to a delayed rupture of the right ventricle that was diagnosed postmortem. Acute cardiac tamponade resulting from rupture of the right ventricle is a serious and life threatening state. A high index of suspicion about the possibility of delayed cardiac rupture is required during the management of a case of polytrauma where significant cardiac findings can be masked by the presence of other injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal University, India. tanujkanchan@yahoo.co.in
authors.forename: Tanuj
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanchan
authors.forename: Ritesh G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.forename: Preetam B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Acharya
authors.forename: Francis N P
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Monteiro
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000473:pathology*