Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 26, 2025

An Intact Pericardium Ischemic Rodent Model
Published on: September 2, 2021
Congenital absence of pericardium
Rahul Nikam1, Jordan Rapp2, Ashrith Kandula1
1Department of Medical Imaging, A. I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA.
Abstract:
A 16-year-old girl presented to the emergency department with orthopnea and exercise intolerance for 1 week. Electrocardiogram at that time showed rightward deviation of the cardiac axis, with nonspecific T-wave inversion in the lateral precordial leads and flattening in the inferior leads. She was discharged from the emergency department with cardiology follow-up. Subsequent echocardiogram demonstrated that "the heart is in a funny position in the chest," and computed tomography of the chest was requested to evaluate for a mediastinal mass causing leftward displacement of the heart.
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