Blunt traumatic rupture of the pericardium with cardiac herniation: two cases diagnosed using computed tomography

Traumatic ruptures of the pericardium with cardiac herniation are infrequen t, and their radiological pattern little familiar, so that they are often m issed preoperatively. Few reports have emphasised the use of a CT scan as a tool for diagnosis and CT scan signs have not been well documented. We rep ort on two cases of traumatic herniation of the heart for which a CT scan b rought a major contribution for diagnosis. We describe the presence of an e mpty pericardial sac on CT slices which allowed us to diagnose the cardiac herniation. These observations demonstrate that CT scans can contribute to the diagnosis of pericardial rupture with cardiac herniation.