BACKGROUND Treatment of malignant pericardial effusion remains controversial, because no randomized controlled trials have been conducted to determine the best approach, and results of retrospective studies have been inconsistent. The objective of the present study was to compare pericardiocentesis and pericardiotomy with respect to efficacy for preventing recurrence, and to determine, for thos...

I was interested to read the paper by Majeed and Kvasnicka (1978) on cardiac tamponade in a patient with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The final comment is that it is difficult to judge the value of local corticosteroid injections after pericardiocentesis, but they quote the paper of Scharf et al. (1976) in which the effect of local corticosteroid was dramatic. The authors have overlooked a re...

Pericardial effusion can lead to cardiac tamponade, which endangers an animal's life. Ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis is used to remove abnormal liquid; however, it requires technical expertise. In veterinary medical education, the opportunity to teach this procedure to save lives during emergencies is rare; therefore, simulators are recommended for this practice. The present study aimed t...

PURPOSE We evaluated clinical outcomes after drainage for malignant pericardial effusion with imminent or overt tamponade. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between August 2001 and June 2007, 100 patients underwent pericardiocentesis for malignant pericardial effusion. Adequate follow-up information on the recurrence of pericardial effusion and survival status was available for 98 patients. RESULTS Rec...

AIMS We evaluated echo-guided pericardiocentesis with contrast study in cardiac tamponade management. PATIENTS AND METHODS From 1982 to 1998 we performed pericardiocentesis in 110 patients (56 +/- 14 years old). Subxiphoid approach was used in 109. Cardiac tamponade was idiopathic (n = 16), secondary to malignant disease (n = 50) and miscellaneous disorders (n = 44). RESULTS Pericardial flu...

BACKGROUND Low-pressure cardiac tamponade is a form of cardiac tamponade in which a comparatively low pericardial pressure results in cardiac compression because of low filling pressure. This syndrome is poorly characterized because only isolated cases have been reported. We conducted a study of its clinical and hemodynamic profiles. METHODS AND RESULTS From 1986 through 2004, we evaluated al...

OBJECTIVE Clinical and echocardiographic features of significant pericardial effusion (PE) have been reported from the west. Currently there is lack of published data from this part of the world, we reviewed all consecutive cases of significant PE requiring echocardiographic assisted pericardiocentesis to analyze the clinical and echocardiographic features of these patients. METHODS Forty fou...

BACKGROUND Effusive-constrictive pericarditis (ECP) is traditionally diagnosed by using the expensive and invasive technique of direct pressure measurements in the pericardial space and the right atrium. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic role of echocardiography in tuberculous ECP. METHODS Intrapericardial and right atrial pressures were measured pre- and post-pericardiocente...