Citation

Pollak S, Stellwag-Carion C. Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 1991; 12(2): 153-156.

Affiliation

Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Freiburg/Br.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1882780

Abstract

A 7-year-old boy fell from a 2.5-m height and suffered contusion of the thorax with hematoma in the soft tissues of the lateral chest wall. The rib cage itself remained intact. After 3 days, there was only local pressure sensitivity of the left hemithorax. On day 8 after the trauma, the child, who up to then had seemed to be in good health, suddenly died during lessons at school. Autopsy revealed a full-thickness rupture of the left ventricle with resultant cardiac tamponade. The macroscopic and histopathologic findings are presented and discussed.

Language: en