Angiocardiographic demonstration of a partial defect of the pericardium with herniation of the left atrium and ventricle.

A case of a patient of 44 years of age with nonspecific thoracic symptomatology and anomalous protrusion of the second arch of the left border of the cardiac silhouette is reported. Cineangiocardiography showed a herniation of the left atrium and ventricle through a partial defect in the left pericardium demonstrating a mechanism that can give rise to sudden death by cardiac incarceration. Prophylactic longitudinal pericardiectomy was performed and the patient made an uneventful recovery.