THE PURPOSE of this report is to present the clinical course of an 8-year-old girl with Marfan's syndrome who developed massive hemopericardium secondary to an aortic aneurysm, and who ultimately came to successful replacement of the ascending aorta with a prosthetic graft. Review of the literature indicates this is the youngest case in which surgical intervention has been successfully attempted.
Report of a Case
An 8-year-old Negro female was admitted on Oct 3, 1963, with shortness of breath for one week and orthopnea of three days duration. Past history revealed she had been followed for heart disease and a convulsive disorder in another center. She had undergone cardiac catheterization at age 4 years and no shunts or pressure abnormalities were demonstrated. Angiocardiography had shown aneurysmal enlargement of the ascending aorta. The girl's father was also examined and found to have some findings of Marfan's syndrome with an associated aortic insufficiency