Case report

The following images revealed a case of a young woman with unremarkable history who came to our unit at 24 weeks of gestation. Our ultrasound examination revealed a tumor in contact with the fetal heart. The tumor had been producing liquid rapidly into the pericardium with compression of the heart and left lung.

On the 28^thweek of gestation we performed a pericardiocentesis due to compressoin of the heart and lungs had become severe, and we needed to do it twice, at 28^th and 32^nd weeks, evacuation 70-80ml of liquid.

The baby was delivered through C-section at 35 weeks of gestation and a surgery was performed at the 2nd day of baby´s life.

The tumor was histologically evaluated and it was a well differentiated pericardial teratoma with muscular and cartilaginous differentiation, and components of intestine epithelium and brain tissue.

Images 1, 2; videos 1 and 2: 2D images of the fetal heart showing a large pericardial tumor with pericardial effusion and secondary compression of the lungs and heart.

Images 3, 4: postnatal CT with endovenous contrast in axial and coronal planes showing a large hypodense tumor, with solid and cystic areas, compressing and deviating the heart.

Videos 3, 4, 5 and 6: exeresis of the pericardial tumor.

Image 5: histological analysis of the fetal tumor revealed a well differentiated pericardial teratoma with muscular and cartilaginous differentiation, and components of intestine epithelium and brain tissue.