title: [Dyspnea, cough and tachycardia].
abstract: Pneumopericardium is known as a rare complication following cardiothoracic surgery or intravenous line placement. Baseline examination including chest x-ray may lead to diagnosis. To prevent cardiac tamponade, pericardiotomy or adaequate pericardial drainage is crucial. We revealed pneumopericardium as the reason for new dyspnea and tachycardia in a 56-year-old man 3 weeks after lobectomy and lymphadenectomy because of a non-small cell lung cancer. Early decision for transpleural pericardiotomy prevented a possibly lethal course.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Thoraxchirurgie, Thoraxklinik am Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Amalienstr. 5, 69126, Heidelberg, Germany. florian.eichhorn@thoraxklinik-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eichhorn
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Heussel
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Storz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dreher
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dienemann
mesh_terms: D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005402:Fistula / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010496:Pericardium; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011026:Pneumopericardium / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D016156:Respiratory Tract Fistula / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014133:Tracheal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis