A Large Pericardial Cyst Presenting in a Healthy 31-Year-Old Female: A Case Study

Abstract

The following is a case presentation of a 31-year-old healthy female that presented to the emergency department with right anterior flank pain for one day. The day before she was blow drying her hair while leaning forward, and when she flicked her hair back with forceful extension of her torso, she felt the right flank pain immediately. The patient took over-the-counter NSAIDs that did not relieve her symptoms which prompted her visit to the emergency department. Upon arrival to the emergency department, she was examined in the triage area. At the initial exam of the patient, there was consideration of all differential diagnoses which included a mass, but based on her history of the pain being caused by her traumatic event, a muscle strain to the area was much higher on the list of potential diagnoses. However, a routine chest radiograph was ordered, and it came back demonstrating a right sided mass.