PLEUROPERICARDIAL CYST – CASE REPORT

Cystic lesions within the pericardial space are rare and comprise 7% of the mediastinal masses. We present the case of a 71-year-old woman admitted to the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Clinic of the Iasi Rehabilitation Hospital for palpitations and vertigo. A routine abdominal ultrasound was performed, which revealed in the 4th segment of the liver a 12-mm hyperechoic nodule suggestive for hemangioma and a round, well-defined 3cm lesion with a possible topography on the diaphragm. An echocardiography has been requested and the cardiac origin was refuted. The barium test showed that the lesion was not located in the gastrointestinal tract. Anteroposterior and latero-lateral chest radiographs were performed, but they did not reveal the tumor. Thus, we decided to visualize it by chest computer tomography with contrast that showed an oval, well-defined lesion of 30/25 mm with homogenous structure, without contrast medium uptake and signs of local aggressiveness in the middle mediastinum, retrocardiac, on the posterior aspect of right atrium, in relation to inferior vena cava and esophagus. The lesions most frequently met within this area are the pleuropericardial ones. Short-term and long- term prognosis is good.