Myocardial and Pericardial Disease: Difference between revisions

Lung cancer is the most frequent cause of neoplastic pericarditis. Cardiac tamponade in patients with a history of malignancy, in the absence of inflammatory signs indicates a possible malignant etiology, as is lack of response to NSAIDs in this patient group. When the effusion is indeed of malignant origin (approximately 40% of cases), treatment aims at alleviation of symptoms and the prevention of recurrences for which a balance should be sought between pericardiocentisis in which recurrence is frequent, and pericardiectomy, which may be overly aggressive in this critically ill subset of patients.

With increasing severity of primary hypothyroidism, the prevalence of pericardial effusion increases. Thyroid hormone replacement therapy results in remission of the effusion.

===== Post-pericardiotomy pericarditis =====

Pericarditis is common after cardiac surgery (18%), of which the etiology is unclear although an autoimmune origin has been proposed. In contrast to other forms of pericarditis, post-pericardiotomy pericarditis may be effectively treated with corticosteroids and NSAIDs.