[Congenital Defect of the Pericardium Incidentally Found during Surgery for Lung Cancer:Report of a Case].

A 78-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for further examination of a mass shadow in the left lower lobe noted on chest computed tomography. Because lung cancer was suspected, a left lower lobectomy was performed. During surgery, the left lower lobe and heart were so tightly adherent that the pericardial defect was not initially perceivable. As we proceeded with adhesion detachment, we discovered that the left lower lobe and the myocardium were directly adherent to one another through a complete defect of the pericardium, which required very careful surgical technique. Because of the complete defect of the pericardium, we considered the risk of heart failure to be low and accordingly did not perform a repair. The postoperative course was uneventful.