Complete Congenital Absence of the Left Pericardium in Elderly Patient: A Case Report

Abstract

Congenital pericardial absence is an uncommon heart condition that is usually undiagnosed due to a lack of symptoms and awareness. In this case study, we present a 72-year-old patient who initially presented for medical evaluation due to unexplained weight loss, a displaced cardiac apex, and poor echocardiographic windows. An extracardiac tumor was suspected at first, but it was later determined that the patient had a congenital complete absence of the left pericardium. This case illustrates the possibility for benign pathology to present abnormally and details the clinical features, imaging findings, and management of congenital absence of the pericardium.

Keywords:

• pericardium
• congenital defect
• echocardiography

Data Sharing Statement

The data was included in the report.

Ethical Approval

Ethical approval was not required for a single case report.

Consent for Publication

The patient provided written consent.

Disclosure

The authors report no potential conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

There is no funding to report.