NUMEROUS cardiac abnormalities may be produced by nonpenetrating trauma to the chest wall.1-4Accidents now rank first as a cause of death in the age group from 1 to 35. With the increasing sale of automobiles each year, it may be anticipated that the total number of cardiac injuries due to nonpenetrating trauma may also increase, and all physicians should be aware of the importance of early diagnosis. Lives may be saved by earlier recognition and surgical repair of cardiac tears or rupture from nonpenetrating trauma. Very little has been added to the literature since the reports of Beck and Bright5,6and Kissane et al7,8of their clinical and experimental work regarding nonpenetrating traumatic pathology to the heart. In a report from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in 1958, Parmley et al9described traumatic rupture of the heart. One of the most important single case