This study investigates the effect of preservation methods on the performance of bovine parietal pericardium grafts in a rat model. Mid-ventral full thickness abdominal wall defects of 3 x 2.5 cm in size were created in 90 male Sprague-Dawley rats (300-400 g), which were divided into three groups of 30 rats each. The abdominal defects of group one and two were repaired with lyophilized and glycerolized bovine pericardium grafts, while the defects of group three were repaired with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) Mycro Mesh as a positive control. Another group of 30 rats underwent sham operation and was used for comparison as negative control. Each group of rats (n = 30) was divided into five subgroups (n = 6) and killed at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 18 weeks post-surgery for gross and morphological evaluations. The rats tolerated the surgical procedure well with a total mortality of 0.05%. No serious post-operative clinical complications or signs of rejection were encountered. Adhesions between the grafts and the underlying visceral organs observed in the study were mostly results of post-surgical complications. Glycerol preservation delayed degradation and replacement of the grafts, whereas lyophilization caused early resorption and replacement of the grafts. The glycerolized grafts were replaced with thick dense fibrous tissue, and the lyophilized grafts were replaced with thin loose fibrous tissue. The healing characteristic of the bovine pericardium grafts was similar to those of the sham-operated group, and quite different from those of the ePTFE Mycro Mesh. The outcome of the present study confirmed the superiority of glycerolized bovine pericardium grafts over its lyophilized counter part.
This paper discusses the feasibility of using a free pericardial patch in repairing defects of the esophagus. The experimental model used is the dog. A piece of the side wall of the esophagus is first excised. This defect in the esophagus is then covered
with a free patch of pericardium. The animals are then sacrificed at sequential dates and the grafted site submitted for microscopic examination. The results show that a free graft of pericardium when used as a patch can prevent leakage of esophageal contents and allow healing of the defect without gross narrowing of the lumen.
Intrapericardial teratoma is a germ-cell tumor that typically arises from the base of the heart. This rare cardiac tumour is the second most common tumor diagnosed in fetuses and newborn. Although benign, it can be massive in size causing direct compression on the heart and associated with significant pericardial effusion resulting life-threatening complications such as cardiac tamponade, heart failure, foetal hydrops, and sudden death. Early antenatal diagnosis and surgical intervention improve the survival. We present a case of immature intrapericardial teratoma diagnosed at 25 weeks of gestation but required multiple foetal pericardiocentesis and premature delivery due to massive pericardial effusion. The importance of multidisciplinary team approach to ensure successful management was highlighted in this case report.
We report a case of two babies with absence of pericardium and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The absence of pericardium was found coincidentally during PDA ligation. The PDA was successfully ligated but the pericardium was not reconstructed. Postoperatively, the agenesis of the pericardium did not interfere with cardiac function.