EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF POSTTRAUMATIC EXTRAPER ICARDIAL HEART LUXATION - BENEFIT OF COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY - A CASE-REPORT

Heart luxation is a rare complication of chest trauma. The rupture of pericardium must be diagnosed as soon as possible, particularly before prolonged orthopaedic surgery for multitrauma, as a cardiac arrest ma y occur during anaesthesia. This report underlines the difficulties of diagnosis in a 40-year-old patient with head trauma, chest trauma and multiple fractures. The diagnosis was suspected on unstable blood pre ssure and left lung atelectasis. The computed tomography showed hernia tion of the left ventricle. Emergency thoracotomy showed the Left rupt ure of pericardium with complete left heart dislocation. Orthopaedic o peration was carried out three days later. Computed tomography in mult itrauma patients, seems to be decisive for early diagnosis of heart lu xation. Emergency thoracotomy is essential.