BACKGROUND A nonsurgical means to access the normal pericardial space could provide opportunities for diagnostic sampling and therapeutic interventions. Because there are currently no approved nonsurgical methods to accomplish this, we tested a new approach in large animals. METHODS AND RESULTS A catheter system was employed in a percutaneous approach from a femoral vein to pierce the right a...

A case is described of a 69-year-old woman with dissection of the ascending aorta who developed cardiac tamponade during induction of anaesthesia. The tamponade was diagnosed by a haemodynamic profile showing approximation of the central venous, pulmonary wedge and pulmonary arterial diastolic pressures, and was treated with rapid surgical intervention and drainage of the haemopericardium. Card...

A 60 year old man with features of osteogenesis imperfecta presented in biventricular failure with evidence of mitral regurgitation. He responded to conventional treatment but later collapsed and died at home. Necropsy showed a haemopericardium caused by a tear in the left atrium. There was also rupture of the mitral chordae tendineae.

BACKGROUND To determine the causes of cardiac tamponade (CT), focussing especially on haemopericardium (HP), as a terminal mode of death, within a 430,000 rural English population. METHODS Our hospital mortuary register and, all postmortem reports between 1995 and 2004 inclusive, were interrogated for patients dying of CT or HP. The causes of CT/HP and selected morphological characteristics w...

Background Retrieval of myocardial biopsies under X-ray guidance in patients with unclear myocardial dysfunction or acute myocarditis is a difficult and potentially hazardous procedure since soft tissues only offer low X-ray contrast during the procedure and extraction of biopsies could cause myocardial rupture and concomitant haemopericardium. In contrast, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging pr...

Background. Currently pacing is the only treatment option for life-threatening bradyarrhythmias. Considering specific factors of pediatric patients, specialists in this field should be highly professional. Aim. To present experience and retrospective analysis complications permanent children adolescents from Tomsk National Research Medical Center. Material Methods. Complications with structural...

AIM This prospective study was undertaken to evaluate whether stable patients with haemopericardium could safely be managed with subxiphoid pericardial window (SPW) and drainage only. PATIENTS AND METHODS From July to December 2001, all stable patients with haemopericardium diagnosed by SPW, who did not have immediate active bleeding, were subjected to sternotomy to grade the injury using the...

A patient presented with tamponade and haemopericardium 16 years after experiencing sudden severe chest pain associated with enlargement of the proximal aorta. Investigations revealed a proximal aortic dissection (DeBakey type II) with extensive laminar and partially calcified thrombus within its false lumen and a large pericardial effusion, which together resulted in a cardiothoracic ratio of ...

Blunt traumatic cardiac rupture is a relatively uncommon diagnosis and is usually associated with a high mortality rate. A case of delayed cardiac rupture is described in an elderly person who sustained blunt chest trauma following a fall into a roadside ditch. In the case reported herein, the preliminary investigations at the time of admission did not show any evidence of haemopericardium. The...