Chronic massive pericardial effusion: a case report and literature review

Chronic massive pericardial effusion without cardiac tamponade is relatively rare. Nearly half of all patients with chronic large pericardial effusion are asymptomatic. We report a case of a 77-year-old man who presented with an asymptomatic chronic massive pericardial effusion, with no evidence of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of international medical research 2020-11, Vol.48 (11), p.300060520973091-300060520973091
Main Authors: Huang, Ying-shuo, Zhang, Jian-xiong, Sun, Ying
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Asymptomatic
Blood cancer
Cardiac Tamponade - surgery
Case Report
Case reports
Humans
Hypothyroidism
Male
Pericardial Effusion - diagnostic imaging
Pericardial Effusion - etiology
Pericardial Effusion - surgery
Pericardiectomy
Pericardiocentesis
Pericarditis
Tuberculosis
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Summary:Chronic massive pericardial effusion without cardiac tamponade is relatively rare. Nearly half of all patients with chronic large pericardial effusion are asymptomatic. We report a case of a 77-year-old man who presented with an asymptomatic chronic massive pericardial effusion, with no evidence of cardiac tamponade or pericardial constriction during a 10-year follow-up. The patient had a complex history of lymph node tuberculosis, hypertension, hypothyroidism, and polycythemia vera, as well as high-dose 31P radiation exposure 45 years ago. There was no evidence of tuberculosis infection, hypothyroidism, malignant tumor, severe heart failure, uremia, trauma, severe bacterial or fungal infection, chronic myeloid leukemia, or bone marrow fibrosis after admission. The patient underwent pericardiocentesis twice. The pericardial effusion comprised exudate fluid with a high proportion of monocytes. The patient refused indwelling catheter drainage or pericardiectomy. The likely final diagnosis was recurrent chronic large idiopathic pericardial effusion.
ISSN:0300-0605
1473-2300
DOI:10.1177/0300060520973091