Blunt traumatic rupture of the heart: case report and selected review

Cardiac rupture is a common complication following blunt thoracic trauma. Blunt traumatic rupture of the heart is a frequent cause of death. Cardiac injuries are rarely diagnosed early in the preoperative period. Most of them die at the scene of the accident and only a few survive to make it to the hospital alive. Rapid evaluation and expeditious management may increase the number of survivors. We present here an illustrative case report and selected review of literature regarding clinical presentation, mechanism of injury, investigation and treatment.