Atrial fibrillation resulting from cardiac trauma.

Reports in the literature concerning isolated traumatic lesions of the conductive system of the heart following blunt injury to the thorax are rare. A 69-year-old woman who was a front-seat passenger developed disturbances of conduction with atrial fibrillation after blunt injury to the thorax. She died 7 days later. Autopsy and subsequent histological investigation of the conductive system of the heart showed isolated contusion in the right atrium close to the atrio-ventricular node.