title: Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy for malignant pericardial tamponade.
abstract: Recurrent pericardial effusion or tamponade can complicate malignant disease. The medical approach with pharmacologic agents has a high recurrence rate. Balloon pericardiotomy (BP) may provide a less invasive alternative to surgery. We performed BP in ten high-risk patients with malignant pericardial tamponade (MPT). BP was performed with aseptic technique under fluoroscopic and echocardiographic guidance. We used a percutaneous subxiphoid approach. A 20- to 25-mm-wide and 4-cm-long balloon was introduced over a stiff guide wire, positioned across the parietal pericardium, and manually inflated until the waisting disappeared. Echocardiographic study and chest radiograph were taken before, immediately after the procedure, and during follow-up. The procedure was successful and well tolerated in all patients. There were no immediate or late complications. No patients developed recurrence of pericardial effusion at up to 10 months' follow-up. In conclusion, BP can be performed in patients with MPT with high rate of procedural success. It may become the preferred treatment to avoid a more invasive procedure in these critically ill patients.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D021721:Balloon Occlusion; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002404:Catheterization; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010492:Pericardiectomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011677:Punctures; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D012008:Recurrence