Soft-tissue images. Pleuropericardial cyst.

TL;DRAbstract

67-year-old man complained of exertional dyspnea, shortness of breath and a dry cough. Clinical examination revealed signs of a leftsided pleural effusion. Chest-wall expansion and basal air entry were reduced; percussion over the lower chest produced a dull note. A posteroanterior chest film demonstrated a left pericardial mass (Fig. 1, arrows). Computed tomography of the chest disclosed an extracardiac mass filled with fluid. The patient remained asymptomatic for 6 months then noticed increasing exertional dyspnea. Through a left anterolateral thoracotomy, a cyst, measuring 9 × 7 cm, was totally excised (Fig. 2, arrows). Its origin from the pericardium was confirmed. The patient was discharged 5 days postoperatively. Chest radiography 6 weeks postoperatively gave normal findings, and the patient reported that his symptoms had resolved. Histopathological examination demonstrated that the cyst was lined by a single layer of cuboidal, columnar cells. Between the cells there was laminate

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