title: Cardiac tamponade by loculated pericardial hematoma following open heart surgery: diagnosis by transesophageal echocardiography.
abstract: Loculated pericardial hematoma following open heart surgery may cause significant hemodynamic compromise. Recognition of this entity may be delayed because of the absence of the classical signs of cardiac tamponade. A 54-year-old woman is described in whom transesophageal echocardiography allowed rapid diagnosis of right atrial compression by a pericardial hematoma, following mitral valve replacement. Transesophageal echocardiography should be considered for the detection of posterior loculated pericardial hematoma in the hypotensive cardiac surgical patient with a suboptimal transthoracic echocardiogram.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cujec
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bharadwaj
mesh_terms: D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D004947:Esophagus; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006406:Hematoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology