Pericarditis and pericardial effusion
00:00 / 00:00
Videos
Notes
Pericarditis and pericardial effusion
Pathology
Cardiac arrhythmias
Atrioventricular block
Bundle branch block
Pulseless electrical activity
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial flutter
Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT)
Premature atrial contraction
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
Brugada syndrome
Long QT syndrome and Torsade de pointes
Premature ventricular contraction
Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular tachycardia
Cardiac tumors
Cardiac tumors
Shock
Shock
Vascular disorders
Arterial disease
Aneurysms
Aortic dissection
Angina pectoris
Coronary steal syndrome
Myocardial infarction
Prinzmetal angina
Stable angina
Unstable angina
Abetalipoproteinemia
Familial hypercholesterolemia
Hyperlipidemia
Hypertriglyceridemia
Coarctation of the aorta
Conn syndrome
Cushing syndrome
Hypertension
Hypertensive emergency
Pheochromocytoma
Polycystic kidney disease
Renal artery stenosis
Hypotension
Orthostatic hypotension
Lymphangioma
Lymphedema
Peripheral artery disease
Subclavian steal syndrome
Nutcracker syndrome
Superior mesenteric artery syndrome
Angiosarcomas
Human herpesvirus 8 (Kaposi sarcoma)
Vascular tumors
Behcet's disease
Kawasaki disease
Vasculitis
Chronic venous insufficiency
Deep vein thrombosis
Thrombophlebitis
Cardiovascular system pathology review
Acyanotic congenital heart defects: Pathology review
Aortic dissections and aneurysms: Pathology review
Atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis: Pathology review
Cardiac and vascular tumors: Pathology review
Cardiomyopathies: Pathology review
Coronary artery disease: Pathology review
Cyanotic congenital heart defects: Pathology review
Dyslipidemias: Pathology review
Endocarditis: Pathology review
Heart blocks: Pathology review
Heart failure: Pathology review
Hypertension: Pathology review
Pericardial disease: Pathology review
Peripheral artery disease: Pathology review
Shock: Pathology review
Supraventricular arrhythmias: Pathology review
Valvular heart disease: Pathology review
Vasculitis: Pathology review
Ventricular arrhythmias: Pathology review
Assessments
Pericarditis and pericardial effusion
Flashcards
0 / 30 complete
USMLE® Step 1 questions
0 / 3 complete
High Yield Notes
8 pages
Flashcards
Pericarditis and pericardial effusion
of complete
Questions
USMLE® Step 1 style questions USMLE
of complete
Reproduced from: Radiopaedia
Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's condition?
External References
First Aid
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Acute pericarditis p. 319
Autoimmune diseases
acute pericarditis p. 320
Coxsackievirus
acute pericarditis p. 481
Electrocardiograms (ECGs) p. 312
acute pericarditis on p. 320
Radiation therapy
acute pericarditis and p. 481
Uremia
acute pericarditis p. 481
Transcript
Content Reviewers
Contributors
With pericarditis, “peri” means “around,” card means “the heart”, and itis means “inflamed”. So pericarditis means the pericardial layer of tissue that covers the heart has inflammation. Acute pericarditis generally lasts just a few weeks, whereas chronic pericarditis lasts longer, usually more than 6 months. People who develop pericarditis are also at risk of also developing a pericardial effusion - that’s when the inflammation causes fluid to accumulate around the heart.
The pericardium is a pouch or cavity that the heart sits inside of. The outer layer of this pouch is the fibrous pericardium and it helps keep the heart in place within the chest cavity. The inner layer of the pouch is the serous pericardium that includes the pericardial cavity, and is filled with a small amount of fluid that lets the heart slip around as it beats. The cells of the serous pericardium secrete and reabsorb the fluid, so usually there’s no more than 50 milliliters of fluid in the pericardial cavity at one time - that’s about as much as a shot glass.
Now, the cause of acute pericarditis is usually idiopathic, meaning that we don’t know what causes it. When the cause is identified, it’s usually a viral infection, like Coxsackie B virus. Another cause is Dressler syndrome which occurs several weeks after a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. Basically, when heart cells die in a myocardial infarction, it leads to massive inflammation that also involves the serous pericardium. Another cause of pericarditis, called uremic pericarditis, is when blood levels of urea, a nitrogen waste product, get really high usually due to kidney problems. The high levels of urea irritate the serous pericardium, making it secrete a thick pericardial fluid that’s full of fibrin strands and white blood cells. This gives the wall of the serous pericardium a “buttered bread” appearance.
Summary
Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium, which is the thin sac that surrounds the heart. It can be caused by infections, autoimmune disorders, or other underlying conditions. Symptoms of pericarditis include fever and chest pain that worsens with deep breathing but improves with sitting up and leaning forward.
There is also pericardial effusion, which refers to the accumulation of excess fluid in the pericardium. Pericardial effusion can be caused by a variety of conditions, including pericarditis, heart attack, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. Symptoms of the pericardial effusion may include chest pain, difficulty breathing, and fatigue.
For Institutions
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier, its licensors, and contributors. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
Cookies are used by this site.
USMLE® is a joint program of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). COMLEX-USA® is a registered trademark of The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, Inc. NCLEX-RN® is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. Test names and other trademarks are the property of the respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are endorsed by nor affiliated with Osmosis or this website.
