Ultrasonic diagnosis of pericardial effusion.

This study was undertaken to establish a method for diagnosing pericardial effusions quickly, simply, and accurately without danger to the patient. Ultrasound examination that was used in this study employed the B mode (cross-sectional representation) in which the vertical deflections of the A scan are turned on end and make a line of dots on the cathode ray tube. These, at the appropriate time, outline the anatomy including moving structures which are seen as wavy lines in the final picture and on the fluorescent oscilloscopic screen. Forty-three patients, 23 suspected of having pericardial effusion, were studied. The diagnosis usually was made on posterior examination and confirmed on anterior examination. Cardio-echograms are shown to provide an accurate, quick, simple method of diagnosing pericardial effusion that is accurate for use in estimating the size of the large effusions.