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Posttraumatic and postoperative cardiac luxation: computed tomography findings in nine patients
Thorsten Leibecke1, Beate Maria Stoeckelhuber, Joerg Gellissen
1Department of Radiology, Klinikum Neustadt, Holstein, Germany. tleibecke@schoen-kliniken.de
Insights
Computed tomography (CT) is crucial for diagnosing cardiac luxation after pericardial rupture. Key CT signs include heart displacement, left heart entrapment, and pneumopericardium, aiding early detection.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Trauma Imaging
Background:
- Cardiac luxation, a complication of pericardial rupture, requires prompt diagnosis.
- It can occur after trauma or surgery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify computed tomography (CT) signs of left cardiac luxation.
- To improve early diagnosis of this serious condition.
Main Methods:
- Review of CT scans in nine patients with pericardial rupture and cardiac luxation.
- Analysis of clinical history, findings, and imaging data.
- Patients had blunt chest trauma (n=7) or post-pneumonectomy (n=2).
Main Results:
- All nine patients showed heart dislocation to the left and pneumopericardium.
- Five patients exhibited "entrapment" of the left heart.
- Trauma patients had left pneumothorax; none had pericardial effusion.
Conclusions:
- CT is vital for early cardiac luxation diagnosis.
- Key CT findings include heart dislodgment, left heart entrapment, pneumopericardium, and associated pneumothorax.
Background:
Posttraumatic and postoperative cardiac luxation represents a serious complication of pericardial rupture, and early diagnosis is important. The purpose of this study is to determine signs of left cardiac luxation on computed tomography (CT).
Methods:
CT scans in nine patients with pericardial rupture and cardiac luxation after blunt chest trauma (n = 7) and postoperatively after extended left pneumectomy (n = 2) were reviewed for abnormalities. We analyzed the clinical history, clinical findings, and the imaging findings.
Results:
Dislocation of the heart to the left and pneumopericardium were seen in nine patients. Five of these nine patients revealed "entrapment" of the left heart between the proximal ascending aorta and the descending aorta. All patients underwent a pneumopericardium. All patients with a history of trauma showed a left-sided pneumothorax but no pericardial effusion.
Conclusions:
CT plays a key role for early diagnosis of cardiac luxation. Dislodgment of the heart, entrapment of the left atrium and ventricle, and pneumopericardium associated with pneumothorax are the most important CT findings.
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