A COMPLEX CARDIAC LESION DIAGNOSED OVER 2 0 YEARS AFTER CAUSAL THORACIC TRAUMA

Penetrating wounds of the heart, when not immediately fatal, may give rise to complex lesions associating valvular regurgitations and fistul ous connections. The authors report the case of a patient with mitral and aortic regurgitation associated with an aorto-left atrial fistula of traumatic origin and causing invalidating cardiac failure. The inte rest of this particular case lies in the duration of the interval betw een the causal trauma and the appearance of symptoms (over 20 years). Complete surgical repair of the lesions provided a good functional res ult. The authors discuss the different types of lesions which may be c aused by wounds of the heart and their modes of presentation.