S = support of heart afforded by the pericardium T = tone of muscle. The support of the pericardium is due to the negative pressure in the pericardial cavity which I have shown is present in health. This negative pressure causes a suction action which keeps the pericardium right up against the heart save for the thin layer of pericardial fluid so necessary for lubrication. F varies directly wit...

Pericardial cysts are rare benign lesions of the thoracic cavity and are mostly congenital anomalies. They are induced by an incomplete coalescence of foetal lacunae during the development of the pericardium. Pericardial cysts are usually unilocular, well marginated spherical or teardrop shaped and may be attached to the pericardium directly or by a pedicle. Of all pericardial cysts, 70 to 75% ...

We present a case of a large thymoma with invasion to the hilum of the lung and pleural dissemination. A 58-year-old woman was diagnosed with a type B2 thymoma, with suspected pericardium, pulmonary artery and left lung invasion and pleural metastasis (Masaoka-Koga stage IVb). A radical resection was planned after systemic chemotherapy. Through a median sternotomy, we resected the tumour, and a...

A 56-year old lady presented with mild chest pain. The echocar-diography revealed gross pericardial effusion. Repeated percu-taneous aspirations were performed. Ultimately, computed tomography helped in reaching the diagnosis of pericardial hydatid disease (Fig. 1A). On operating, a single infected cyst was found encompassing the heart with multiple daughter cysts (Figs 1B and 2A–C). Figure 1: ...

INTRODUCTION Pericardial defects are a rare condition, generally asymptomatic, due to failure in development of pericardial sac. They are difficult to detect, particularly the complete absence of the pericardium. At present magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the best performing exam and it could be the first choice in the diagnosis of agenesia of the pericardium. MATERIALS AND MET...

A PATIENT with a pericardial effusion may frequently present a diagnostic problem. A primary malignancy of the heart or pericardium is one of the rare causes of such an effusion. Lymburner1 at the Mayo Clinic reported an incidence of .05 per cent in 8,500 consecutive autopsies. Mesotheliomas compose only a small percentage of the primary tumors of the heart and pericardium. Dawe, Wood, and Mitc...

We report four cases in which a pericardium (Tutoplast) plug was used to repair a corneoscleral fistula after Ahmed Glaucoma Valve (AGV) explantation. In four cases in which the AGV tube had been exposed, AGV explantation was performed using a pericardium (Tutoplast) plug to seal the defect previously occupied by the tube. After debridement of the fistula, a piece of processed pericardium (Tuto...

BACKGROUND Electroacupuncture (EA) is a traditional Chinese medicine treatment guided by meridian theory. As it gradually gains more worldwide acceptance, a clarification of its mechanisms is extremely urgent. We observed variations in transcutaneous oxygen pressure/carbon dioxide pressure (tcpO2/tcpCO2) and microcirculation blood perfusion units (BPU) along the pericardium meridian, and cardia...

More work needs to be done on the extent to which the pericardium can modulate the cardiovascular response to exercise and the mechanisms whereby this modulation is brought about. Studies are needed to differentiate the effects of the pericardium on the cardiovascular exercise response, comparing trained with untrained subjects. Evidence is accumulating that exercise training in patients with h...

The influence of the pericardium on cardiovascular phenomena has been examined and evaluated in the light of both ventricular function (modified Starling) curves and pressure-volume relationship of the pericardium. When the left ventricle is stressed, as by an increased aortic resistance, it dilates. The resulting pericardial tension limits right ventricular diastolic expansion and right ventri...