• Tanuj Kanchan, Ritesh G Menezes, Preetam B Acharya, and Francis N P Monteiro.
• Department of Forensic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal University, India. tanujkanchan@yahoo.co.in
• J Forensic Leg Med. 2012 Jan 1; 19 (1): 46-7.

AbstractBlunt traumatic cardiac rupture is a relatively uncommon diagnosis and is usually associated with a high mortality rate. A case of delayed cardiac rupture is described in an elderly person who sustained blunt chest trauma following a fall into a roadside ditch. In the case reported herein, the preliminary investigations at the time of admission did not show any evidence of haemopericardium. The patient deteriorated suddenly, possibly due to a delayed rupture of the right ventricle that was diagnosed postmortem. Acute cardiac tamponade resulting from rupture of the right ventricle is a serious and life threatening state. A high index of suspicion about the possibility of delayed cardiac rupture is required during the management of a case of polytrauma where significant cardiac findings can be masked by the presence of other injuries.Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

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