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Introduction Pericardial involvement of sarcoidosis is a rare cause for acute heart failure, and usually occurs as a result of the development of a pericardial effusion leading to cardiac tamponade. Even rarer still, is the manifestation of constrictive pericarditis. We report a case of sarcoidosis with lung, pleural, and pericardial involvement with effusive-constrictive pericarditis leading to cardiac tamponade. Case presentation A 34-year-old Caucasian man presented for evaluation of a history of worsening exertional dyspnea, edema, and weight loss. A high-resolution chest computed tomography showed diffuse pulmonary nodules with upper lobe predominance and in a perilymphatic distribution; large right pleural effusion; and large pericardial effusion with pericardial thickening. A transthoracic echocardiogram demonstrated early tamponade physiology for which a pericardial drain was placed. After removal of the drain he developed cardiogenic shock from cardiac tamponade attributed to the reaccumulation of a pericardial effusion and urgent pericardial window was performed. Serial echocardiography was concerning for organization and localization of the pericardial fluid. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a significant reduction in pericardial slippage between the parietal and visceral layers around the heart collectively suggestive of constrictive pericarditis. Confirmation of effusive-constrictive pericarditis was noted on right heart catheterization. He then underwent pericardiectomy, which on histopathologic evaluation demonstrated non-necrotizing granulomas, thus confirming pericardial involvement of sarcoidosis. Conclusions We report a case demonstrating unique manifestations of sarcoidosis; effusive-constrictive pericarditis presenting with acute congestive heart failure.

Constrictive pericarditis occurs in less than 2% of patients after an episode of acute pericarditis. Up to 26% of patients with constrictive pericarditis are found to have an underlying malignancy. A 75 y/o male with recent acute pericarditis and pericardial window presented in cardiogenic shock.

Ventricular free wall rupture is a rare complication of acute myocardial infarction (MI) i.e.

OBJECTIVE To demonstrate that two lung ventilation under general anaesthesia may also be safely performed to create pericardial window with uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Method The single-centre, retrospective, comparative study was conducted at Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey, comprised data from March 2011 to March 2018 of patients with recurrent and/or with chronic large pericardial effusions unresponsive to medical therapy and/or to pericardiocentesis and who underwent pericardial window creation with uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Group 1 had data of patients in whom pericardial windows were created under general anaesthesia, while group 2 had patients with two lung ventilation. Parameters compared between the groups were gender, age, operation side, operation time amount of drainage, complication, recurrences and survival. Data was analysed using SPSS 19. RESULTS Of the 20 patients, 9(45%) were males and 11(55%) were females. Group 1 had 14(70%) patients, while group 2 had 6(30%). The age of patients in group 2 was significantly higher than those in group 1 (p=0.041). There was no significant difference between the groups with respect to gender, amount of drainage, operation time and post-operative complications (p>0.05). There was no recurrence or mortality in either of the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Pericardial window could be created safely with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery under two lung ventilation for patients carrying high risk for one lung ventilation.

Mesothelioma is a rare tumor of the pleura, peritoneum, pericardium or tunica vaginalis. About 2,500 cases are diagnosed annually in the United States. Mesothelioma often presents with pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea related to local invasion; distal metastasis and lymphadenopathy at the time of diagnosis is rare. Pericardial involvement in mesothelioma is related to direct invasion of the tumor. We here present a 71 year-old-male who presented with pleuritic chest pain and dyspnea, noted to have diffuse ST-segment elevation in EKG and cardiac tamponade physiology on 2D echocardiogram in who imaging subsequently revealed left upper lung mesothelioma. A pericardial window was created following which tamponade resolved. The pericardial biopsy did not show any mesothelioma cells or fibrous plaques. Computer tomography revealed regional lymphadenopathy in the chest. Disrupted cardiac lymphatic flow due to tumor mesothelioma induced lymphadenopathy is likely cause of the cardiac tamponade in this patient. This is the second ever reported case of pleural mesothelioma without a direct pericardial invasion that presented with cardiac tamponade.

Pericardial effusion is commonly associated with malignancy. The goals of treatment should include optimizing symptom relief, minimizing repeat interventions, and restoring as much functional status as possible. Pericardiocentesis should be the first intervention but has high recurrence rates (30–60%). For patients with recurrence, repeat pericardiocentesis is indicated in those with limited expected lifespans. Extended pericardial drainage decreases recurrence to 10–20%. The addition of sclerosing agents decreases recurrence slightly but creates significant pain and can lead to pericardial constriction and therefore has fallen out of favor. Most patients with symptomatic pericardial disease have a short median survival time due to their underlying disease. In patients with a longer life expectancy, surgical drainage offers the lowest recurrence rate. Surgical approach is based on effusion location and clinical condition. Subxiphoid and thoracoscopic approaches lead to similar outcomes. Thoracotomy should be avoided as it increases morbidity without improving outcomes.

The clinical status of HIV infection has changed dramatically with the introduction of combined antiretroviral therapy. Patients with HIV are now living long enough to be susceptible to chronic illnesses, such as coronary disease and nonischemic cardiomyopathy, which can be consequences of the combined antiretroviral therapy treatment itself. Cardiovascular diseases are a major source of morbidity and mortality in HIV-positive patients. Increasingly, such patients might be candidates for the full range of cardiac surgical interventions, including coronary bypass, valve surgery, and heart transplantation. There has been a shift from offering palliative procedures such as pericardial window and balloon valvuloplasty, to more conventional and durable surgical therapies in HIV-positive patients. We herein provide an overview of the contemporary outcomes of cardiac surgery in this complex and unique patient population. We review some of the ethical issues around the selection and surgical care of HIV-positive patients. We also discuss strategies to best protect the surgical treatment team from the risks of HIV transmission. Finally, we highlight the need for involvement of dedicated infectious disease professionals in a multidisciplinary heart team approach, aiming at the comprehensive care of these unique and complex patients.

A 62-year-old man presented with 2 weeks of progressive dyspnea and chest pain. He was previously diagnosed with high-grade invasive urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the bladder and underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy 10 months earlier, resulting in pathologic complete remission. Clinical evaluation and echocardiographic imaging was consistent with a diagnosis of cardiac tamponade. Due to a history of malignancy, the patient was referred for a surgical pericardial window, to include biopsy of the pericardium. Pericardial fluid and pericardial biopsy specimens were consistent with metastatic UC. Cardiac tamponade due to metastatic UC is a rare presentation, and, to our knowledge, there have been only 5 cases reported in the English literature. We report a rare case of cardiac tamponade due to isolated pericardial metastases from high grade UC of the bladder and discuss the symptoms, treatment, and prognosis of this pathologic condition. We also present a brief review of previously published literature. Through this discussion, we would like to emphasize the (1) consideration of cardiac metastases in the differential diagnosis for patients with a history of UC presenting with cardiac or pulmonary symptoms and (2) improved diagnostics with pericardial biopsy and pericardiocentesis over pericardiocentesis alone.

A 58-year-old man presented with tamponade and underwent an emergency pericardiocentesis. We made the diagnosis of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pericarditis based on culture results and treated the patient with pericardial drainage and antibiotics as the first-line therapy. After temporary relief, reaccumulation of effusion developed. We successfully created a pericardial window using thoracotomy, and the patient's postoperative course was uneventful. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pericarditis is an extremely rare and life-threatening illness. No consensus exists concerning the ideal surgical intervention. Creating a pericardial window using thoracotomy can be an effective definitive therapy for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pericarditis, especially for patients with significant pericardial adhesions.

A 63-year-old woman presented with cardiac tamponade because of a ruptured giant left anterior descending coronary artery aneurysm with a fistula to the main pulmonary artery. The diagnosis was made intraoperatively during an emergent subxiphoid pericardial window using transesophageal echocardiography and confirmed by intraoperative coronary angiography. Because of this prompt diagnosis, the patient was successfully managed with immediate surgical repair of the aneurysm and fistula.

A 56-year-old female presented to the emergency department with evolving cardiac tamponade after receiving alteplase for acute ischemic stroke. This is the first case report of cardiac tamponade from thrombolytics in the setting of recent pacemaker placement. Point-of-care ultrasound was used to make the diagnosis quickly and expedite the patient to the operating room where a pericardial window was performed.

Purulent pericarditis is a potentially fatal disease with high mortality rates if untreated. Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes) is an anaerobic bacteria that is ubiquitous in skin flora and is commonly thought of as a culture contaminant; however, it does have pathogenic potential. We present a case of purulent pericarditis secondary to C. acnes leading to cardiac tamponade. Initial stabilization and diagnosis were made via pericardiocentesis; afterward the patient underwent a pericardial window. Due to a severe penicillin allergy, he was successfully treated with a 14-day course of vancomycin. To our knowledge, this represents only the third published case of purulent pericarditis with cardiac tamponade caused by C. acnes and the first case treated with a 14-day course of vancomycin.

Surgery on the pericardium has been relegated to a median sternotomy, open thoracotomy and subxiphoid laparotomy approach. Video-assisted or thoracoscopic techniques may present some limitations in some patients. The robotic approach described in this chapter provides sufficient information to perform a safe and efficient procedure. The anesthetic management, the progress of the procedure and the placement of 3–4 puncture wounds and their position on the chest wall are described.

The thoracotomy approach for pericardial window surgery was shown to be more effective at preventing effusion recurrence and the need for repeat surgery. However, cardiac herniation remains a common complication after extensive pericardial excision. This technical note describes a simple and effective technique to prevent potential heart herniation through the pericardial window and at the same time to avoid potential obstruction of the left artery descending.

Introduction The optimal method for creation of a pericardial window (PW) is still controversial and it remains a surgical challenge, mainly in obese patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel approach that has not been described previously, for creation of a PW in patients with symptomatic, chronic, large pericardial effusion. Methods We retrospectively analysed the records of 30 patients (14 men, 16 women) who underwent a PW procedure between 2001 and 2011. The mean age was 63 years (standard deviation [SD]: 17 years, median: 60 years, range: 27–90 years) and the mean body mass index was 34kg/m 2 (SD: 2kg/m 2 ). The operation was performed through a curvilinear parasternal approach, 6–8cm in length, followed by a mini-thoracotomy between ribs 4 and 5. Discharged patients were followed up clinically. Results The mean operative time was 73 minutes (SD: 21 minutes) and a median of 658ml (range: 300–1,500ml) of fluid was evacuated. The main aetiologies were idiopathic in 17 patients (57%) and malignant in 9 (30%). Seven patients (23%) died in hospital owing to underlying malignancy. Postoperative complications included mild renal failure (20%), respiratory failure (20%), pneumonia (13%), atrial fibrillation (10%) and atelectasis (6%). There were no wound infections. The median length of stay following the procedure was 8 days. In a median follow-up period of 3.8 years, 16 patients with non-malignant effusion were free of recurrence of pericardial effusion. Conclusions The anterior parasternal approach for creation of a PW is simple, safe and efficacious, and results in long-term symptomatic improvement, specifically in patients with non-malignant effusions. This approach may be more appealing in obese patients.

Background— In patients with mechanical aortic and mitral valves and left ventricular tachycardia, catheter ablation may be prevented by limited access to the left ventricle. Methods and Results— In our series of 6 patients, 2 patients underwent direct surgical ablation and 4 underwent epicardial catheter ablation via a pericardial window. All patients had abnormal low voltage areas with fractionated or delayed isolated potentials on the apical epicardium. Most of the ventricular tachycardias were targeted by pace mapping. Sites with a good pace match or abnormal electrograms were ablated using an irrigated radiofrequency ablation catheter. A microscopic pathological evaluation of the resected tissue from 2 of the open-heart ablation patients revealed dense fibrosis on the epicardium compared with the endocardium, supporting the feasibility of an epicardial ablation for the ventricular tachycardia. Conclusions— Epicardial catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia is a potentially useful therapy in patients who have mechanical aortic and mitral valves.

The best approach in diagnosis and treatment of neoplastic pericardial disease has not been defined yet. The authors report the most recent literature about the new diagnostic techniques that are useful to improve the diagnosis. The literature about the therapeutic options is critically reviewed, in order to give suggestions of use to the clinical practice. Pericardial effusion may require urgent drainage; the solid component, however, becomes predominant in some cases. Neoplastic pericardial disease should be assessed following oncologic criteria evaluation of the neoplastic burden; outcome classified as complete or partial response, stable or progressive disease and - in cases with progression - event-free survival. Systemic chemotherapy may be effective in lymphomas and possibly in breast carcinomas. Intrapericardial chemotherapy with systemic chemotherapy is the treatment of choice in lung cancer. Pericardial window with systemic chemotherapy is also effective in preventing the accumulation of large amount of fluid.

Background Penetrating cardiac injuries carry a significant mortality, especially if operative intervention is delayed because of diagnostic difficulties. Methods and materials We reviewed our experience of 134 consecutive cases over a 6 year period. For the initial 5 years, the diagnosis was based on clinical grounds only. During the final year of study, focused ultrasound focused abdominal sonar for trauma (FAST) and subxiphoid pericardial window were introduced. Results Ninety-six per cent (128/134) were males and the overall mean age was 27 y. Eighty-four per cent (112/134) sustained isolated cardiac injury and the remaining sixteen per cent (22/134) had concurrent injuries elsewhere. A total of 10 FAST's were performed and the sensitivity was 20%. Fifteen subxiphoid pericardial window were performed (8 had diagnostic uncertainty, 2 with double jeopardy, and 5 with delayed tamponade) and had a sensitivity of 100%. The survival rate for the 109 patients from the pre-adjunct period was 83% and 88% for the 25 patients in the post-adjunct period, which was not statistically significant ( P value = 0.765). There was no significant difference in the complication rate, mean intensive care unit stay, or mean total hospital stay. Conclusions Penetrating cardiac injuries are highly lethal. A high index of suspicion, coupled with early operative intervention remains the key in securing the survival of these patients.

Pericardial effusion is a common cardiac manifestation of hypothyroidism, but effusion resulting in cardiac tamponade is extremely rare. We present a case of a 56-year-old African American woman with slurred speech and altered mental status that was initially suspected to have stroke. Her chest X-ray revealed cardiomegaly and subsequent echocardiogram showed a large pericardial effusion with echocardiographic evidence of cardiac tamponade. Clinically, patient did not have pulsus paradoxus or hypotension. Further questioning revealed a history of total surgical thyroidectomy and noncompliance with thyroid replacement therapy. Pericardiocentesis was performed promptly and thyroxine replacement therapy was started. Thereafter, her mental status improved significantly. The management of pericardial effusion associated with hypothyroidism varies depending on size of effusion and hemodynamic stability of the patient. The management strategy ranges from conservative management with close monitoring and thyroxine replacement to pericardiocentesis or creation of a pericardial window.

We report the case of a 78-year-old female who presented to our hospital with signs of hemorrhagic shock and breathlessness. A transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated pericardial effusion. Computed tomography of the chest showed a penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer of the aortic arch with an intramural hematoma of the ascending and descending aorta. Endovascular repair with stent-grafting was urgently performed and a pericardial window placement was done to reduce mediastinal bleeding.

Cardiac tamponade complicating malignant pericardial effusion from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is generally associated with extremely poor prognosis. With improved systemic chemotherapy and molecular targeted therapy for NSCLC in recent years, the prognosis of such patients and the value of invasive cardiothoracic surgery in this setting have not been adequately examined. We report outcomes from a contemporary case series of eight patients who presented with malignant cardiac tamponade due to NSCLC to an Australian academic medical institution over an 18 months period. Two cases of cardiac tamponade were de novo presentations of NSCLC and six cases were presentations following previous therapy for NSCLC. The median survival was 4.5 months with a range between 9 days to alive beyond 17 months. The two longest survivors are still receiving active therapy at 17 and 15 months after invasive surgical pericardial window respectively. One survivor had a histological subtype of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and the other received targeted therapy for epidermal growth factor receptor mutation. These results support the consideration of active surgical palliation to treating this oncological emergency complicating NSCLC, including the use of urgent drainage, surgical creation of pericardial window followed by appropriate systemic therapy in suitably fit patients.

ObjectiveOur aim was to compare systemic chemotherapy (CT) with drainage and with pericardial window in the treatment of neoplastic pericarditis in patients with various malignancies included in the International Neoplastic Pericarditis Treatment study.MethodsPatients treated with systemic CT alone (Group A), CT plus drainage (Group B), or CT plus pericardial window (Group C) were included. Treatment response was defined as complete response (ie, no more pericardial effusion or masses), partial response (ie, reduced total score, without requiring further treatments), stable disease (ie, unchanged total score), or progressive disease (ie, increased total score). Patients with partial or complete response were considered responders.ResultsThis preliminary report included 175 patients (56.6% male) with a mean age of 54.21 ± 14.26 years. Gender distribution, age, and follow-up duration was similar for all groups (P > .05). Prevalent cancer types were lung cancer (50.9%), breast cancer (14.9%), and lymphoma/leukemia (14.9%). Overall, 22.3%, 42.9%, and 34.9% of patients were in treatment group A, B, and C, respectively. There were 132 responders (75.3%). The rate of responders significantly differed between groups (P

A novel method in the management of refractory severe hypoxemia during one-lung ventilation (OLV) in a patient who presented with myasthenia gravis, asthma, a symptomatic mediastinal mass, hiatal hernia, and a moderate pericardial effusion is presented. The patient was scheduled for excision of a large anterior mediastinal mass and creation of a pericardial window through a left thoracotomy. One-lung ventilation was achieved using an Arndt bronchial blocker. High-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) was applied to the surgical nondependent lung through the lumen of the Arndt endobronchial blocker with titration of positive end-expiratory pressure to the dependent lung. Oxygenation improved significantly. The use of HFJV through the Arndt blocker offers an effective method for treatment of refractory hypoxemia during OLV.

On physical examination, his blood pressure was 90/70 mm Hg, heart rate 130 beats per minute. There was elevated jugular venous pressure, peripheral oedema and pulsus paradoxus. The electrocardiogram showed sinus tachycardia with low voltage and a thoracic Computed Tomography (CT) revealed severe pericardial effusion (Figure 1). Because of this, the patient was immediately admitted to our Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A bedside echocardiogram confirmed the large pericardial effusion and a right atrium diastolic collapse. The poor quality sub-xiphoid pericardial window did not allow the visualization of a pericardial sack, which was detected by parasternal and apical views (Figure 1).

Pneumopericardium resulting in cardiac tamponade in patients with lung cancer is not documented. We report a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung complicated by pneumopericardium and subsequent cardiac tamponade. The patient underwent an urgent pericardial window with rapid improvement in symptoms. We discuss the possible pathogenesis and treatment options for this rare condition.

Presentation of pericardial disease is diverse, with the viral aetiology being the most common cause; however, when haemorrhagic pericardial effusion is present, these causes are narrowed to few aetiologies. We present a case of a young female of African descent who presented with diffuse abdominal pain and vomiting. Initial work-up showed pericardial effusion with impending echocardiographic findings of cardiac tamponade and bilateral pleural effusions. Procedures included a left video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) with pericardial window. We consider that it is important for all physicians to be aware of not only typical presentation but also atypical and unusual clinical picture of pericardial disease.

Delayed cardiac tamponade after a penetrating chest injury is a rare complication. The clinical diagnosis of tamponade is facilitated with imaging. We present a case report of a 23-year-old male who was brought to emergency after multiple stab wounds to the chest. After resuscitation and repair of laceration of right internal mammary artery and right ventricle, he was discharged but later returned with shortness of breath. Echocardiography revealed a rare case of delayed pericardial tamponade causing left ventricular collapse. The pericardial effusion was treated with emergent pericardiocentesis and later required a thoracoscopy guided pericardial window for definitive management.

Background General anesthesia and endotracheal intubation are a luxury rather than a necessity for many video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) operations. Twenty-three years ago, I began using local anesthesia and sedation for pleural disease and subsequently, for pericardial and lung disease. Study Design The records of all patients undergoing VATS using local anesthesia and sedation at hospitals of the Geisinger Health System (Danville and Wilkes-Barre, PA), from June 1, 2002 to June 30, 2011, and the Lifebridge Health System (Baltimore, MD) from July 1, 2011 to March 1, 2017, were retrospectively reviewed. There was 1 unsuccessful attempt at this technique, and it was eligible for inclusion. No patient was excluded based on age, BMI, or comorbidities. No patient had endotracheal intubation, laryngeal mask airway, or epidural or nerve block analgesia; all patients breathed spontaneously. Results Five hundred twenty-nine patients ranging in age from 21 to 104 years (mean 67 years) underwent 576 procedures: pleural biopsy-drainage with or without talc (n = 368); drainage of empyema (n = 112); lung biopsy (n = 56); evacuation of chronic hemothorax (n = 23); pericardial window (n = 10); treatment of chylothorax (n = 2); lung abscess draining (n = 2); treatment of pneumothorax (n = 2); and mediastinal mass biopsy (n = 1). No patient required intubation or conversion to thoracotomy. There were 12 complications (2%). There were no deaths due to operation. Conclusions Video-assisted thoracic surgery using local anesthesia and sedation is safe and effective for many indications. A review of the lessons learned caring for 529 patients will allow any thoracic surgeon and any anesthesiologist to practice this technique.

An 80-year-old woman initially presented with an episode of pleuritic chest pain 10 days after implantation of a dual chamber permanent pacemaker. She returned to hospital a day later with vomiting and fever. She was found to have new atrial fibrillation in addition to right-sided weakness and dysarthria. An infarct in the left anterior inferior cerebellar artery territory was later confirmed on CT. She continued to have recurrent febrile episodes associated with vomiting and dyspnoea. Extensive investigations for infection were negative, and her symptoms were initially attributed to aspiration pneumonia. The patient gradually deteriorated despite antibiotics and became progressively short of breath, with development of large pleural and pericardial effusions. A diagnosis of postcardiac injury syndrome was made after exclusion of other differentials. The patient recovered well after pleurocentesis, pericardiocentesis and a pericardial window, with resolution of symptoms without further medical therapy.

A 71-year-old man with a history of polycythaemia vera, diagnosed 4 years ago, presented to the emergency room with shortness of breath. A bedside echocardiogram revealed a large pericardial effusion with features concerning for pericardial tamponade. A left anterior thoracotomy and a pericardial window were emergently performed in the operating room and relieved the patient’s symptoms. Histology evaluation of the pericardial fragments and pericardial fluid revealed the presence of trilineage haematopoietic elements without any increase in the blasts. A bone marrow core biopsy revealed an increase in reticulin fibre and increase in the number of blasts of 5%–10%, whereas peripheral blood testing was positive for JAK2 V617F mutation. This case report reviews the literature for cases of extramedullary haematopoiesis associated with myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Background Cytomegalovirus infection is known to cause symptomatic disease in immunocompromised patients, while an infection in immunocompetent individuals normally causes few or no symptoms. We present the case of an immunocompetent adult patient with unexpected severe evolution. Case presentation An otherwise healthy, 72-year-old Caucasian woman presented with complaints of progressive shoulder pain and dyspnoea on exertion. The blood test results showed elevated inflammation parameters and elevated hepatic transaminase levels. Radiologic examinations were carried out, and the computed tomography scan revealed a hepatomegaly and a chest X-ray showed evidence of a unilateral pleural effusion. A transthoracic echocardiography detected pericardial effusion with consecutive hemodynamic changes. Since it was considered that using ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis could significantly increase the risk of liver injury due to hepatomegaly, a pericardial window was performed instead. Further investigation showed that our patient tested positive for an acute cytomegalovirus infection in the serologic tests. Laboratory findings included new evidence of immunoglobulin M seroconversion and high immunoglobulin G avidity, so we considered the possibility that a former cytomegalovirus infection may be coexisting with a new cytomegalovirus reinfection. Conclusions In immunocompetent individuals, a symptomatic cytomegalovirus primary infection or reinfection should be considered in patients presenting with pericardial effusion and serositis.

Angiosarcomas are malignant mesenchymal proliferations of endothelial elements characterized by rapidly proliferating extensively infiltrating anaplastic cells Well known sites of occurrence include the skin and post radiation breast tissue It is exceedingly rare to find angiosarcoma as a cardiac primary We present a case of primary cardiac angiosarcoma in a year old African American female presenting with sudden and dramatic large hemorrhagic pericardial effusion She had no known prior symptoms Cardiac MRI revealed a ten centimeter mass involving the right atrium right ventricle and encasing the right coronary artery as well as multiple lung nodules Via pericardial window biopsies were simultaneously obtained of the cardiac mass and of the lung nodules Tissue from the cardiac mass showed necrotic cells with noncontributory immunostains However tissue from the lung nodule showed viable tumor cells and confirmed primary cardiac angiosarcoma with pulmonary metastases Immunohistochemical stains on the pulmonary nodule tissue were positive for CD CD and vimentin and negative for AE AE cam TTF desmin OCT and CA This case highlights a sudden and dramatic presentation of rare primary cardiac angiosarcoma

Comparative outcomes of patients undergoing pericardiocentesis or pericardial window are limited. Development of pericardial effusion after cardiac surgery is common but no data exist to guide best management. Procedural billing codes and Cleveland Clinic surgical registries were used to identify 1,281 patients who underwent either pericardiocentesis or surgical pericardial window between January 2000 and December 2012. The 656 patients undergoing an intervention for a pericardial effusion secondary to cardiac surgery were also compared. Propensity scoring was used to identify well-matched patients in each group. In the overall cohort, in-hospital mortality was similar between the group undergoing pericardiocentesis and surgical drainage (5.3% vs 4.4%, p = 0.49). Similar outcomes were found in the propensity-matched group (4.9% vs 6.1%, p = 0.55). Re-accumulation was more common after pericardiocentesis (24% vs 10%, p 0.0001) and remained in the matched cohorts (23% vs 9%, p 0.0001). The secondary outcome of hemodynamic instability after the procedure was more common in the pericardial window group in both the unmatched (5.2% vs 2.9%, p = 0.036) and matched cohorts (6.1% vs 2.0%, p = 0.022). In the subgroup of patients with a pericardial effusion secondary to cardiac surgery, there was a lower mortality after pericardiocentesis in the unmatched group (1.5% vs 4.6%, p = 0.024); however, after adjustment, this difference in mortality was no longer present (2.6% vs 4.5%, p = 0.36). In conclusion, both pericardiocentesis and surgical pericardial window are safe and effective treatment strategies for the patient with a pericardial effusion. In our study there were no significant differences in mortality in patients undergoing either procedure. Observed differences in outcomes with regard to recurrence rates, hemodynamic instability, and in those with postcardiac surgery effusions may help to guide the clinician in management of the patient requiring therapeutic or diagnostic drainage of a pericardial effusion.

A 67-year-old man presented with 3 months of exertional dyspnoea and 1 week of oedema. Examination revealed elevated neck veins, pulsus paradoxus, muffled heart sounds, decreased breath sounds and pedal oedema. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) demonstrated cardiac tamponade, and chest X-ray showed pleural effusion. Pericardiocentesis, thoracocentesis, laboratory investigations and CT did not elucidate an underlying aetiology. Three weeks later, he presented with recurrent cardiac tamponade and pleural effusion. Pericardial window histology was benign. Pleural and pericardial fluids were again unrevealing. Three months later, he presented with worsening congestive heart failure. TTE, cardiac catheterisation and cardiac MRI were consistent with constrictive pericarditis. Preoperative workup did not identify an underlying cause. The patient underwent subtotal pericardiectomy. Intraoperative frozen section indicated malignancy. Pathology confirmed metastatic poorly differentiated signet ring adenocarcinoma of intestinal origin. He died 4 days postoperatively from multiorgan failure.

Pericardiocentesis with catheter insertion for pericardial drainage is a common procedure used for the treatment of pericardial effusions and of cardiac tamponade as well. The most commonly described complications of an indwelling pericardial catheter system are catheter blockage and infection. We present a rare case of a 63 years old patient with a pericardial catheter for pericardial effusion drainage. He was presented with elevated body temperature and chills, a day after a pericardial catheter insertion. His clinical examination did not reveal any particular findings, while the catheter had stop draining two days earlier. His laboratory examinations revealed slightly increased WBCs' (13.300/ml). Following that, a chest x-ray examination revealed winding of the catheter along the pericardium. Under general anesthesia, the patient underwent left thoracotomy; the pericardial catheter was found tight wreathed and infiltrated to the inner coat of the pericardium. The catheter was carefully removed and a pericardial window was then performed. His post-operative course was uneventful, and he was discharged five days later.

Drug induced lupus erythematosus (DIL or DILE) is an autoimmune disorder caused by chronic use of certain drugs. We report a unique case of hydralazine induced lupus syndrome (HILS) with a negative antinuclear antibody in a female patient who was on hydralazine for a period of 1.5–2 years and developed recurrent pericardial effusion as a result of it. Initially her condition was managed with a pericardial window. The recurrence of a massive pericardial effusion necessitated a right hemipericardiectomy. After hydralazine was stopped, she never had any further episodes of pericardial effusion or tamponade.

Blunt cardiac injury encompasses multiple injuries, including contusion, acute valvular disorders, and chamber rupture. Blunt traumatic cardiac rupture is a very rare occurrence accounting for 0.5% of blunt trauma cases with a very high mortality rate. Coexisting pericardial rupture in patients with cardiac rupture obscures the diagnosis and contributes to mortality. False negative pericardial ultrasound secondary to a concomitant pericardial laceration and subsequent decompression of the cardiac hemorrhage into the ipsilateral pleural space is extremely rare and has only been recently described in the literature. This image depicts a case of traumatic right ventrictular rupture from blunt cardiac injury and highlights the importance of considering an underlying cardiac injury in the presence of a negative FAST pericardial window in patients with a traumatic hemothorax.

Acute pericarditis associated with lung cancer is a relatively frequent complication but is usually not symptomatic unless it causes tamponade. The clinical presentation is classically with dyspnea, thoracic pain, signs of right cardiac failure then left cardiac failure and syncope but it is often a difficult diagnosis in a patient with multi-symptomatic disease. The diagnosis is based on cardiac echography. Toxicity due to radiotherapy or more rarely an infectious etiology must be considered. Clinically significant effusions must be drained because of the high rate of recurrence after a simple aspiration. Drainage is formally indicated when, at echocardiography, the effusion exceeds 20mm in diastole, in cases of tamponade or in cases of compromised hemodynamic status. The formation of a pericardial window at thoracotomy prevents recurrences. Based on old, retrospective, very heterogeneous case series the prognosis, is generally considered to be poor with a median survival which does not exceed 100 days and a one year survival generally lower than 10%. Prognosis is better where diagnosis occurs at an earlier stage allowing regular follow-up and surgical intervention in a non-emergency setting.

Introduction A pneumopericardium presenting after penetrating chest trauma is a rare event. The surgical management of this clinical problem has not been clearly defined. The aim of this study was to document the mode of presentation and to suggest a protocol for management. Patient and methods A review of a prospectively collected cardiac database of patients presenting to Groote Schuur Hospital Trauma Centre between October 2001 and February 2009 with a pneumopericardium on chest X-ray after penetrating trauma. Results There were 27 patients with a pneumopericardium (mean age 25 years, range 17–36). The mechanism of injury was a stab wound to the chest in 26 patients and a single patient with multiple low velocity gunshot wounds. Six patients (22%) were unstable and required emergency surgery. One of these patients presented with a tension pneumopericardium. Twenty-one patients were initially stable. Two of these (10%) patients later developed a tension pneumopericardium within 24-h and were taken to theatre. The remaining 19 patients were managed with a subxiphoid pericardial window (SPW) at between 24 and 48 h post admission. Ten of these 19 patients (52%) were positive for a haemopericardium. Only 4 of the 19 underwent a sternotomy and only two of these had cardiac injuries that had sealed. There were no deaths in this series. Conclusion Patients with a penetrating chest injury with a pneumopericardium who are unstable require emergency surgery. A delayed tension pneumopericardium developed in 10% of patients who were initially stable. It is our recommendation that all stable patients with a pneumopericardium after penetrating chest trauma should undergo a SPW. A sternotomy is not required in stable patients.

Purpose To describe the echocardiographic findings detected as first manifestations of Behcet's disease (BD) and compare these findings with those detected in established cases of BD receiving regular medical treatment. Methods Two groups of patients were studied. Group 1 comprised 41 patients with BD on regular medical treatment. Group 2 comprised 5 previously healthy patients who presented to the cardiology department because of cardiac symptoms and were diagnosed in retrospect during hospitalization as BD. Thirty-two age- and sex-matched individuals served as control subjects (control group). All patients and controls underwent complete M-mode, two-dimensional, and Doppler transthoracic echocardiographic examinations. Results Of the 41 treated patients with BD (mean age: 32 ± 8 years, 90% males, mean duration since diagnosis: 14.5 years), only 1 patient was found to have severe aortic regurgitation secondary to aortic root dilation. On the other hand, the 5 previously healthy patients who presented with cardiac symptoms (mean age: 24 ± 6 years, all males) had significant cardiac involvement and evident echocardiographic findings (P

Aandoeningen van het pericard komen vrij vaak voor bij de hond en gaan in de meeste gevallen gepaard met pericardiale effusie. De oorzaak van deze pericardiale effusie is meestal neoplastisch of idiopathisch. Wanneer zich vocht opstapelt in het hartzakje neemt de intrapericardiale druk toe en ontstaat er uiteindelijk harttamponade. Pericardiocentese is een belangrijke diagnostische maar voornamelijk therapeutische techniek bij alle patiënten met harttamponade. Wanneer de effusie blijft terugkomen, is pericardectomie aangewezen. De meest uitgevoerde technieken zijn de subtotale pericardectomie via thoracotomie of het pericardiale venster via thoracoscopie. De prognose na pericardectomie is sterk afhankelijk van de oorzaak van de pericardovervulling en is gunstig bij de idiopathische vorm maar gereserveerder bij aanwezigheid van tumoren.

Precursor T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are considered same disease with different clinical presentations. Clinically, a case is defined as lymphoma if there is a mass lesion in the mediastinum or elsewhere and 25% blasts with or without mediastinal masses is classified as T-cell ALL. Mediastinal masses caused by T-cell LBL can lead to complications such as superior vena cava syndrome, tracheal obstruction, pericardial effusion and tamponade. We report an unusual case of a 25-year-old male with no significant past medical history, who presented with clinical features of cardiac tamponade. Work-up revealed a massive pericardial effusion and a mass arising in the anterosuperior mediastinum. Patient underwent an emergent subxiphoid pericardial window and approximately 1 L of hemopericardium was drained. Histopathology (pericardial tissue) and flow cytometry on the pericardial fluid were compatible with a precursor T-cell LBL. Although pericardial involvement by lymphoma/leukemia is a very rare complication, cases have been reported with both lymphoma and acute/chronic leukemia. Our paper highlights cardiac tamponade as one of the life-threatening complications associated with a precursor T-cell LBL. World J Oncol. 2014;5(3):129-134 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/wjon785w

Amaç: Perikardiyal efüzyon potansiyel olarak ciddi morbidite ve mortalite nedenidir. Video-yardımlı torakoskopik cerrahi (VATS), subksifoid ve minitorakotomi perikardiyal pencere sıklıkla kullanılan cerrahi tedavi seçenekleridir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, semptomatik perikardiyal efüzyonun tedavisinde bu üç yöntemin sonuçlarını ve etkinliğini araştırmaktır. Yöntemler: Ekim 2007 ile Aralık 2011 tarihleri arasında Dr. Siyami Ersek Hastanesi\'nde perikardiyal efüzyon nedeniyle ameliyat edilen 88 hasta cerrahi tedavi yöntemlerine göre [Grup 1 (VATS,n=24), Grup 2 (Subksifoid, n=28), Grup 3 (Minitorakotomi, n=36)] üç grup olarak çalışmaya alındı. Gruplar demografik bilgiler, etiyoloji, ameliyat sırası ve sonrasına ait veriler ve sonuçlar, nüks, takip bilgileri, morbidite, mortalite ve sağkalım yönünden incelendi ve mukayese edildi. Bulgular: 88 hasta (37 kadın, 51 erkek, ortalama yaşları 54,47±16,81) çalışmaya alındı. Gruplar cinsiyet dağılımı ve etiyoloji hariç benzer perioperatif özelliklere sahipti. Her üç cerrahi yöntem hastalar tarafından genel olarak iyi tolere edildi. Gruplar ameliyat mortalitesi, 30 günlük mortalite, tüm ameliyat sonrası komplikasyonlar, nüks ve sağkalım oranları yönünden benzer sonuçlara sahipti. Grup 3\'teki hastaların ameliyat süreleri belirgin olarak daha kısa idi (p, Objective: Pericardial effusion potentially cause significant morbidity and mortality. Pericardial window by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), subxiphoid and minithoracotomy is available surgical treatment options. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy and outcome of the three different methods for surgical management of symptomatic pericardial effusions. Methods: A retrospective study of patients operated for pericardial effusion between October 2007 to December 2011 at Dr. Siyami Ersek Hospital were divided into three groups according to surgical treatment d: Group 1 (VATS, n=24), Group 2 (Subxiphoid, n=28) Group 3 (Minithoracotomy, n=36). The groups were analyzed and compared using demographic information, operative and postoperative details and course, recurrence, follow-up data, morbidity, mortality and survival. Results: A total of 88 patients (37 women, 51 men, with mean age 54.47±16.81) underwent pericardial window were included in the study. The groups had similar perioperative characteristics except sex distribution and etiology. VATS, Subxiphoid and minithoracotomy pericardial window were well tolerated by patients, resulted in similar rates of mortality, 30-day mortality, overall postoperative complications, recurrence rates and survival. Operative time was significantly shorter in group 3 (p

Amac: Bu calismada acik kalp cerrahisi sonrasi semptomatik perikardiyal efuzyonlu hastalarda en sik kullanilan iki cerrahi teknigin sonuclari karsilastirildi. Ca­lis­ma­ pla­ni:­ Eylul 2004 Eylul 2012 tarihleri arasinda, klinigimizde acik kalp cerrahisi yapilan 14.390 hastanin verileri retrospektif olarak analiz edildi. Toplam 152 hasta bu calismaya dahil edildi ve uygulanan tedavi yontemine gore iki gruba ayrildi. Subksifoid perikardial drenaj 86 hastaya (%56.6) (grup 1), yan torakotomi ile perikardiyal pencere acilmasi 66 hastaya (%43.4) uygulandi (grup 2). Bu hastalar icerisinde semptomatik perikardiyal efuzyon gelismis olan ve subksifoid perikardiyal drenaj veya yan torakotomi yontemi ile yeniden eksplore edilen hastalar analiz edildi. Ameliyat sirasi veriler, ameliyata bagli ve 30 gunluk hastane mortaliteleri acisindan karsilastirildi. Bul gu lar: Grup 2’de ameliyat teknigi tam bir basariya ulasmisken (%100), grup 1’de basari orani %87.2 idi (p

Background The aim of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of a J wave on the electrocardiogram (ECG) to detect an occult cardiac injury in patients following penetrating chest trauma. Method A prospective study conducted on patients admitted to the Groote Schuur Hospital Trauma Centre following penetrating chest trauma during the period of 1st October 2001 and 28th February 2009, who did not have an indication for emergency surgery and that underwent an ECG and later a subxiphoid pericardial window (SPW) for a potential cardiac injury. All the patients were easily resuscitatable with less than 2 l of crystalloid. A standard 12-lead ECG was performed shortly after admission. A J wave was defined as the small positive reflection on the R-ST junction. Results There were 174 patients where an ECG was performed and the patient underwent SPW for a possible cardiac injury. The mean age of the patients was 28 years (range 11–65). The mechanism of injury was stab wounds in 167 patients and 7 low velocity gunshot wounds. A J-wave was present on the ECG in 65 (37%) of the 174 patients with a possible cardiac injury. The sensitivity of a J wave to detect a hemopericardium was 44%, specificity was 85%, and positive predictive value of 91% ( p Conclusion The presence of a ‘J’ wave on ECG signifies a significant risk of an occult cardiac injury after penetrating thoracic trauma.