[Congenital partial defect of the pericardium with herniation of the left atrial appendage (author's transl)].

Congenital partial pericardial defect with herniation of the left atrial appendage presents a rare anomaly. Clinical appearance of a 25-year-old man with this anomaly combined with adherance to the left lung hilus and the pericardial sac is described. He suffered from cardiac arrhythmias and dyspnea during exertion. The chest X-ray film at unremarkable physical examination and routine laboratory data within normal limits showed a prominent shadow of the left cardiac border, the cineangiocardiographic findings revealed that the prominence was due to a large left atrial appendage. Since strangulation of the left atrial appendage is a well-known and described potential hazard, thoracic surgery was performed without any complication.