Sudden death due to lethal strangulation of heart by congenital partial pericardium

Cases of strangulation of heart are usually seen in post-operative heart surgery. However such strangulation of heart can occur due to defect in pericardium. Here, we report a case of 32 year old male who had complaint of chest pain while working on a building construction site. He had previous episodes of intermittent chest pain which remained undiagnosed. On post-mortem examination, it was observed that the deceased had defect in pericardium with bilateral absence of pericardial sac. In absence of any previous surgical record it was found to be of congenital in nature. Such absence of pericardial sac may remain dormant and can aggravate in situations like stress which laid to constriction of pericardial sac to the ventricular wall leading to blockage of heart vessels causing sudden stoppage of circulation to heart muscle itself. On post-mortem examination opinion as to the cause of death was given as strangulation of heart due to bilateral congenital partial pericardium. Such type of case is reported for its rarity.