Hearts That Go Thump in the Night

Abstract
IT is common for a patient to perceive his heartbeat by hearing cardiac sounds when the side of his head is placed on a pillow at night.1 Indeed, most physicians are familiar with complaints of precordial "thumping" or "pounding" when a subject reclines on the left side. In most cases these nocturnal sensations are not based on serious disturbances of heart rhythm. The purpose of this report is to describe a striking exception to this time-honored impression.Case ReportA 59-year-old woman was seen because of the chief complaint of "heart pounding" when she turned to her left side after . . .