Pericardial cyst in a child treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

A pericardial cyst is a rare condition in childhood. We report on a 10-year-old girl who presented with an intrathoracic mass detected on a chest X-ray performed during a routine medical examination. She had no symptoms and a physical examination revealed no abnormalities. Ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a multiloculated cystic mass in the right upper thorax. The cyst was resected using a thoracoscopic procedure. Histologically, the findings were consistent with a pericardial cyst. Thoracoscopic surgery was an effective surgical technique even for such a young patient and the results successfully reduced the morbidity. Conclusion A pericardial cyst, a rare condition in childhood, was treated successfully by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Received: 10 April 2000 / Accepted: 5 July 2000