Surgical Management of Undiagnosed Laceration of Superior Vena Cava Caused by Blunt Trauma.
Intrapericardial rupture of the superior vena cava resulting from blunt thoracic trauma is a rare and life-threatening condition that has to be ruled out in the presence of signs of cardiac tamponade and a history of blunt thoracic trauma. We report the case of undiagnosed superior vena cava laceration caused by a high-speed road traffic accident in a 25 year-old patient revealed by cardiac tamponade. We highlight the need of urgent surgical exploration in all patients whose condition is unstable in the setting of blunt thoracic trauma regardless of imaging conclusions.
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery; Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris VI; Assistance publique des hôpitaux de Paris, La Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France. Electronic address: nadia.bouabdallaoui@gmail.com.
Nadia
N
Bouabdallaoui
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery; Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris VI; Assistance publique des hôpitaux de Paris, La Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France; Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Fort de France University Hospital, Fort de France, Martinique, France.
Hassan
H
Debbagh
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery; Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris VI; Assistance publique des hôpitaux de Paris, La Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France; Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Fort de France University Hospital, Fort de France, Martinique, France.
Thibaut
T
Schoell
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery; Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris VI; Assistance publique des hôpitaux de Paris, La Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France.
Guillaume
G
Lebreton
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000209:etiology; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D004452:Echocardiography; D057510:Endovascular Procedures; D005260:Female; D000069076:Fractures, Multiple / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D056346:Sternotomy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult