[Traumatic pericarditis, an old acquaintance in due form (author's transl)]

The clinical, radiographic and post-mortem studies in an 18-month-old heifer are reviewed. The complaint was that the animal had not been eating and drinking for as long as ten days. Clinical studies revealed obvious changes of the respiratory and circulatory systems: marked engorgement of the jugular veins, clapotement synchronous with the heart beat and bronchial respiration over the apical lobes. Clinical examination was followed by a differential diagnosis in which traumatic pericarditis, pleurisy and an intrathoracic abscess were mainly considered, and is was decided to carry out radiography. The X-rays showed a major lesion, within which a horizontal level was observed. In addition, a large foreign body was discernible. The animal died within a few days and the diagnosis of traumatic pericarditis was verified, though pleurisy was also found to be present. The ichorous splenitis revealed by the post-mortem studies was not observed on clinical examination. The difficulties involved in arriving at a correct differentiation between pericarditis, pleuristy and an abcess are discussed in retrospect.