Congenital absence of the left pericardium

1NTERNATIONAL

in

ABSTRACTS

apparently

healthy

OF

infants

PEDIATRIC

is

stressed.

Both cases were operated upon through the abdominal approach. The first one died some hours later of unknown cause. The second is now free of any trouble, but the hiatal hernia. which had been corrected in a second operation, recurred.-M. Bettex. DIAPHHAGMATIC

CONGENITAL

THROUGH FORAMEN W.

Surg.

Scheer

and

91:823,

HERNIA

OF BOCHDALEK. Carl

John

L.

Lintiille.

Arch.

1965.

Two cases of Bochdalek hernia are reported. The condition and its treatment are tliscllssed.-Edward J. Berman.

HEART C~NCENITAL CARDIUM.

AND

GREAT

ABSENCE Ivan

Herman

from

the

anterior

chest

wall.

Laminograms, frontal projection, show air between the heart and the dome of the diaphragm. This diagnostic approa- h should be remembered when there is some question as to heart size or murmurs as part of a routine physical examination or a chest x-ray. The article also stresses the fact that the pericardium itself serves no important functional purpose and that the absence of the pericardium over a wide area is perfectly consistent with a long life and no symptoms.--Robert .I. Izant Jr.

INTRAPEHK:AI%DIAL

TERATohfA.

Lt.

CDR

Robert J. McConoghie and Lt lru .l. Friedman. Amer. J. Dis. Child. 110:683685 PERI-

Gross-

man, Frederick 0. Bowman, Jr. and Sylvia P. Grifiths. Amer. J. Dis. Child. 110:309-314, 1965. Although pericardium

arated

VESSELS

OF THE LEFT

Dimich,

195

SURGERY

congenital absence of the left is a rare congenital malforma-

tion. its recognition as part of the differential diagnosis of cardiomegaly is important. This is usually an isolated anomaly and may be associated with a variety of systolic murmurs whose origin is not clear, but probably produced by the unusual position and motility of the heart itself. Although the usual radiographic and electrocardiographic diagnostic aids are used, these, coupled with the physical findings, do not completely establish the diagnosis with certainty. Hence. the plea in this article to establish the diagnosis without question by the use of a left pneumothorax is stressed. The diagnostic procedure can easily be done by inserting air into the left pleural space through the second interspace anteriorly and then obtaining routine chest xrays and laminograms. With the absence of the left pericardium, air enters the pericardial sac and surrounds the heart demonstrating, in the left lateral decubitus position, the diagnostic feature of the injected air on the inner aspect of the right pericardium. The lateral projection of the thorax with the patient supine shows the heart sep-

1965.

Cystic teratoid tumors of the pericardium are rare in childhood, this report being the sixteenth under 3 years of age of the 38 total cases reported in the literature. The report concerns the postmortem studies obtained after an unexpected death in a 6 week old child. secondary to acute pericarditis. The symptoms of trachial pressure and pericardial effusion with the abnormal heart shadow leads one to suspect this diagnosis. For surgical removal which was possible in 10 reported instances, early diagnosis is imperative. Since only 2 of the 38 cases reported in the literature have been malignant. the prognosis is good if surgical extirpation is instituted early.Robert J. Izant, Jr.

I. PATENT DU~T~S ARTERIOSUS WITH PULMONARY HYPERTENSION IN CHILDREN. II.

EVALUATION TREATMENT DUCTUS

OF RESULTS OF SURGICAL IN

CHILDREN

ARTERIOSUS

WITH

WITH

PATENT

PULMONARY

J. Valenta, B. No& J. Sumbern and B. Vitek. Cs. ped. 20:611617, 1965. HYPERTENSION.

I. A short statistical evaluation is given of experiences with 57 cases of DAP with pulmonary hvpertension. II. Follow-np of 42 cases. 30 of which are longer then one year (up to 9 years) after operation.-V. Kafka.