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Updated: Mar 11, 2026

A Pipeline to Characterize Structural Heart Defects in the Fetal Mouse
Published on: December 16, 2022
[Partial pericardium defect with a cardiac heart diverticulum and extensive intrauterine hypoxic myocardial lesions]
J Rehkämper1, E Wardelmann2, K-M Müller2
1Gerhard-Domagk-Institut für Pathologie, Münster, Deutschland. jan.rehkaemper@ukmuenster.de.
Abstract:
The autopsy of a fetus at 23 weeks gestational age revealed a partial pericardial defect with subsequent herniation of parts of the left ventricle. The myocard was impinged by the fibrous rim of the residual pericardium. Microscopic examination showed signs of recurrent myocardial infarctions with necrosis, calcification, fibrosis and prominent deposition of iron.Partial pericardial defects result from incomplete fusion of the pleuropericardial membrane and may lead to myocardial infarction via compression of the coronary arteries.
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