title: Shot to the heart: a case of traumatic ventricular septal aneurysm and review of the literature.
abstract: Traumatic cardiac injuries are an uncommon diagnosis in the pediatric population. Of the traumatic cardiac injuries, more than 95% are contusions. Traumatic ventricular aneurysms are exceptionally rare, and most are detected during long-term follow-up. They are usually successfully managed medically but can require emergent surgical intervention. We report the case of a 6-year-old boy who was in a motor vehicle collision. He was found to have profound sinus bradycardia during initial resuscitation with hypotension. An electrocardiogram showed complete heart block. A cardiologist was consulted, and an echocardiogram was performed, which revealed a ventricular septal aneurysm. The case is followed by a review of the literature on traumatic cardiac injuries and ventricular septal aneurysms in the pediatric population.
authors.affiliation: Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA. wcagle@cnmc.org
authors.forename: William E G
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Cagle
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Tucker
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006322:Heart Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054088:Ventricular Septum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis