Forensic echocardiography: A case in point

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) has an important role in the assessmen t of patients with acute penetrating chest trauma. We report the case of a 36-year-old man who sustained a stab wound to the chest. After admission, h e required emergency pericardiocentesis. TTE revealed a traumatic ventricul ar septal defect and a defect in the anterior mitral valve leaflet. To asse ss whether these lesions were related to the initial stab wound or the peri cardiocentesis, the transducer was positioned over the stab wound and the l esions were shown to be in the same plane as the entry site, thus ruling ou t iatrogenic trauma.