Cardiac Tamponade Secondary to a Giant Pleuropericardial Cyst in a Child: A Surgical Case Report from Sub-Saharan Africa

TL;DR

A 14-year-old boy in Sub-Saharan Africa had a rare heart condition caused by a large cyst, which was successfully surgically removed.

Contribution

This case report highlights a rare pediatric condition and its successful surgical management in a resource-limited setting.

Findings

A mediastinal cyst caused cardiac tamponade in a previously healthy child.

Emergency surgical resection via median sternotomy resolved the condition.

The patient had no recurrence after 2 years of follow-up.

Abstract

Pleuropericardial cysts are rare mediastinal tumors with variable, often severe, clinical presentations in children, occasionally requiring urgent intervention. We report the case of a previously healthy 14-year-old male who was admitted with signs of severe congestive heart failure and clinical evidence of cardiac tamponade. Transthoracic echocardiography and thoracic CT scan confirmed the presence of a compressive mediastinal cystic mass. The patient underwent emergency surgical resection via median sternotomy. Histopathological examination confirmed a benign pericardial cyst. Postoperative recovery was uneventful, and no recurrence was observed after 2 years of follow-up.

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