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Giant pericardial cyst in a 5-year-old child: A rare anomaly
Sanjay Kumar1, Promil Jain, Rajeev Sen
1Department of Pathology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak - 124 001, Haryana, India.
Insights
This case report details a rare pericardial cyst in a 5-year-old boy presenting with chest symptoms. Surgical removal confirmed the diagnosis, highlighting the need for awareness of these rare pediatric mediastinal masses.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Pericardial cysts are rare congenital anomalies typically found in the middle mediastinum.
- Their presentation in children is exceptionally uncommon, necessitating differentiation from other mediastinal masses.
Observation:
- A 5-year-old male child presented with symptoms including chest pain, cough, and fever.
- Echocardiography and CT scans suggested a pericardial cyst preoperatively.
Findings:
- Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of a pericardial cyst following surgical excision.
- This benign mediastinal lesion was successfully treated.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of considering rare diagnoses like pericardial cysts in pediatric patients with mediastinal abnormalities.
- Accurate preoperative diagnosis using imaging modalities is crucial for effective management.
Abstract:
Pericardial cysts are uncommon congenital abnormalities that occur in the middle mediastinum. Most of these are found incidentally on chest x-rays. The occurrence of pericardial cyst in children is quite rare. It needs to be differentiated from other cystic mediastinal masses. A rare case of pericardial cyst in a 5 year old male child is reported. The child presented with chest pain, cough and fever. The preoperative diagnosis of pericardial cyst was suggestive on echocardiography and CT scan. It was confirmed on histopathology after successful surgical excision. The rarity of this benign mediastinal lesion in children prompted us to report this case.
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