The lifesaving effects of cardiac adhesions

Adam L Richardson; Olivia K Richardson; Rebecca L Guan; Ryan J Anderson; Tracy L Van Meter

doi:10.1016/j.radcr.2023.04.018

The lifesaving effects of cardiac adhesions

Radiol Case Rep. 2023 May 12;18(7):2461-2464. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2023.04.018. eCollection 2023 Jul.

Authors

Adam L Richardson¹, Olivia K Richardson², Rebecca L Guan¹, Ryan J Anderson¹, Tracy L Van Meter¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, 530 S Jackson St, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
² Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, USA.

Abstract

Patients that incur myocardial disruption from penetrating cardiac injuries have an average 6%-10% expectancy rate of reaching the hospital alive. If prompt recognition on arrival is not immediate, the morbidity and mortality are significantly higher due to the secondary physiologic sequalae of either cardiogenic or hemorrhagic shock. Even after a triumphant arrival at a medical facility, out of that 6%-10%, half of those patients are not expected to survive. The unique significance of the presenting case breaks this tradition, expanding past the paradigms and issuing an exceptional understanding of the protective effects that cardiac surgery can futuristically cause through preformed adhesions. In our case, the cardiac adhesions achieved this by containing a penetrating cardiac injury that had caused complete ventricular disruption.

Keywords: Cardiac surgery; Cardiothoracic imaging; Diagnostic radiology; Emergency radiology; Pericardial adhesions; Ventricular pseudoaneurysm.

Publication types

Case Reports