Intrapericardial barium in a case of peptic ulceration.

Pneumopericardium is rare and is even more uncommon as a complication of benign gastric ulceration. Advances in surgical treatment for carcinoma of the oesophagus have led to more frequent thoracic interposition of the stomach for the resected portion of the oesophagus. The heterotopic stomach is liable to develop abnormalities similar to those which occur in the normally situated stomach. We report here a case in which pneumopericardium occurred following perforation of a benign gastric ulcer in a stomach that had been surgically advanced to the thorax following resection of a carcinoma of the oesophagus.