Pericardial cyst in a one-year-old boy with ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Congenital Heart Disease
• Cardiothoracic Surgery

Background:

• Pericardial cysts are rare congenital anomalies.
• Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common congenital heart disease in children.
• The co-occurrence of pericardial cyst, VSD, and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is exceptionally rare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a rare case of a child with VSD and PDA who also had a pericardial cyst.
• To describe the intraoperative diagnosis and management of this rare combination.

Main Methods:

• A one-year-old boy diagnosed with VSD and PDA underwent planned surgical correction.
• Intraoperative findings revealed a large pericardial cyst.
• The pericardial cyst was surgically excised concurrently with VSD closure and PDA ligation.

Main Results:

• A large pericardial cyst was identified intraoperatively in a patient with VSD and PDA.
• Successful excision of the pericardial cyst was achieved during the planned cardiac surgery.
• The patient underwent concomitant VSD closure and PDA ligation.

Conclusions:

• Pericardial cysts may be occasionally missed by transthoracic echocardiography.
• Surgical excision of pericardial cysts can be safely performed alongside other cardiac surgical procedures.
• This case underscores the importance of considering rare diagnoses in pediatric cardiac surgery.