Bronchogenic carcinoma: a rare cause of nontraumatic pneumopericardium

The history of a 67-year-old woman presenting a sudden nontraumatic pneumopericardium is reported. Investigation revealed that this patient had developed a bronchopericardial fistula secondary to a bronchogenic carcinoma. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed at autopsy. Although it is fairly evident that in this case the pneumopericardium could be related to the bronchogenic carcinoma, only a few reports of such an association have been published in the literature.