A new cross sectional echocardiographic method for estimating the volume of large pericardial effusions.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a new cross sectional echocardiographic method for estimating the volume of pericardial effusions.


METHODS
The volume of pericardial fluid removed by surgical drainage or paracentesis was compared with the volume estimated by the echocardiographic method. The pericardial sac volume and cardiac volume were calculated by applying the formula for the volume of a prolate ellipse (pi x 4/3 x L/2 x D1/2 x D2/2) where L is the major axis and D1 and D2 are the minor axes. The pericardial fluid volume was calculated as the pericardial sac volume minus the cardiac volume.


METHODS
13 patients with 14 large pericardial effusions (one recurrence) all of whom had tamponade and cross sectional echocardiography just before therapeutic full drainage of the effusion.


RESULTS
The volumes of pericardial fluid drained ranged from 0.5 to 2.11. The correlation between these actual volumes and the volumes estimated by echocardiography was excellent (r = 0.97); the correlation was good in four patients with intrapericardial adhesions.


CONCLUSIONS
Because of certain approximations in measuring quantity of pericardial fluid drained, the echocardiographic estimations cannot be claimed to be definite. The data, however, indicate that the echocardiographic method is sufficiently reliable to provide useful estimates for practical clinical purposes.
D'Cruz
I A
IA
Medical College of Georgia, Augusta.
Hoffman
P K
PK
D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology