Rupture of the pericardium is a rare complication of blunt chest trauma. Th
e diagnosis is difficult and if it remains unrecognized, severe complicatio
ns such as heart herniation may occur. We report the case of a 19-year-old
patient with a traumatic rupture of the pericardium. The diagnosis was sugg
ested by a pneumopericardium seen on the chest radiograph and CT-scan. Emer
gency thoracotomy enabled localisation of the tear, assessment of its size,
and reparation of the tear to prevent heart herniation. (C) 1998 Elsevier,
Paris.