Summary
A six-year-old boy was hospitalized following a car accident. Cardiac catheterization
demonstrated acute post-traumatic mitral regurgitation (MR) and ventricular septal
defect (VSD).
The patient was operated on for mitral valve replacement and closure of the VSD. On
opening the chest absence of the left pericardium was noted.
Cardiac catheterization performed in the postoperative period demonstrated a residual
left-to-right shunt at ventricular level The patient was reoperated on 10 months later
for closure of the residual VSD. Six months after the last operation the patient is
in good condition.
The congenital absence of the pericardium is considered as favoring both the post-traumatic
cardiac lesions and the postoperative pulmonary problems on the left side.
Key words
Post-traumatic mitral regurgitation - Post-traumatic ventricular septal defect - Congenital
absence of left pericardium - Surgical correction
