Isolated Partial Congenital Absence of the Pericardium: A Familial Presentation.

Congenital defects of the pericardium are uncommon heart abnormalities. Most of the patients are asymptomatic and are usually diagnosed incidentally. Complications are more common in partial absence than in complete absence of the pericardium; thus, this congenital defect should be identified because of the associated risk of sudden death. We report the first mention in the literature, to our knowledge, of a 3-generation familial presentation of isolated congenital partial absence of the pericardium with similar physical examination and radiological findings.