Monday, April 19, 2010

Monday April 19, 2010
Cocaine-Induced Pneumopericardium

Likely use of "crack" cocaine with solid contaminants in the crystalline mass could may cause a microscopic esophageal tear and eventually produce a leak of air into the pericardial sac.

See interesting case report here (Circulation. 2000;102:2792)

CXR shows linear detachment along silhouette of left ventricle and left atrium (arrows)