Ten patients with congenital defects of the pericardium were treated in Departments
of Cardiac Surgery, Silesian School of Medicine in Zabrze and Katowice between 1989
and 1998. There were eight children and two adults, eight males and two females. In
each case the pericardial defect was discovered intraoperatively during surgery for
congenital heart defect. There were no cases with clinical symptoms that could be
clearly related to the defect of the pericardial sac. In the case of a child with
a complete absence of the left pericardial wall the heart was significantly rotated
contrary to the defect. The final outcome of the congenital heart defect surgery was
satisfactory in each case. An abbreviated historical review of the diagnosis and treatment
of the pericardial defects is presented with special attention placed on therapeutic
management. Surgical correction of pericardial defects is concluded to be justified
in patients with clinical symptoms. In most cases pericardial defects are discovered
intraoperatively, but when they are large the said defects do not require any treatment.
Pericardial defect - Malposition of the heart - Surgical exposure - Pediatric cardiac
surgery
