BACKGROUND The role of inflammatory and angiogenic cytokines in patients with inflammatory pericardial effusion still remains uncertain. METHODS We assessed pericardial and serum levels of VEGF, bFGF, IL-1β and TNF-α by ELISA in patients with inflammatory pericardial effusion (PE) of autoreactive (n = 22) and viral (n = 11) origin, and for control in pericardial fluid (PF) and serum (n = 26) ...

The pericardium is one of the serosal cavities of the mammals. It consists of two anatomical structures closely connected, an external sac of fibrous connective tissue, that is called fibrous pericardium and an internal that is called serous pericardium coating the internal surface of the fibrous pericardium (parietal layer) and the heart (visceral layer) forming the pericardial space. Between ...

OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine the possible underlying etiologies and outcome in isolated fetal pericardial effusion. METHODS Doppler fetal echocardiography allowed the diagnosis of pericardial effusion in three patients and revealed the etiology in two. RESULTS We present the findings in three cases of isolated pericardial effusion. In the first, the pericardial effusion was a ma...

The relation between the amount of pericardial fluid and the presence of a pericardial rub was examined in 76 patients with echocardiographic evidence of pericardial effusion. A pericardial rub was noted in 4 of 13 patients with small pericardial effusion (less than 100 ml), in 23 of 40 patients with moderate effusion (100 to 500 ml), and in ten of 23 patients with a large effusion. No differen...

On completion of this CE, the participant will be able to 1. Describe two cardiovascular emergencies for patients with cancer. 2. Describe medical management of the cardiovascular emergencies. 3. Discuss nurses’ role in the care of patients with cardiovascular emergencies. Cardiac tamponade is a life-threatening emergency that occurs when excessive fluid in the pericardial space, called a peric...

This study was designed to examine the relationship between pericardial fluid and plasma CRP levels, and to alterations in other biochemical parameters in patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG). The study group consisted of 96 Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) patients who were referred to our clinic for a CABG procedure and from whom sufficient amount of pericardial fluid could...

Congenital defects of the pericardium are considered rare. Until 1979 , the reported cases were only about 200.1 Total absence of the left pericardium is the most common defect2 and less common is a partial defect of the left pericardium. Other types, i.e. isolated right-sided defects, total pericardial absence and diaphragmatic pericardial defects are very rare.3 Before the last decade, t...