title: [Analysis of 73 cases of significant pericardiac effusion].
abstract: Seventy-three patients with significant pericardiac effusion (SPE) are analyzed retrospectively. The results concerning etiology, clinical findings, evolution, echocardiography findings and pericardiac effusion (PE) findings are summarized. Conclusions drawn are: 1) the pericardiac effusion (PE) is a difficult diagnosis without the assistance of the echocardiogram; 2) the echocardiogram signs of hemodynamic alterations have prognostic value; 3) the most frequent causes of SPE are: tumors, idiopathic acute pericarditis, and iatrogenesis; 4) in an important percentage of DPS patients the cause is not identified; 5) the clinical presentation as pericardiac tamponade (PT) is most frequent in the tumors; 6) the analysis of the PE has a low yield, which means that diagnostic pericardicentesis is not justified in all patients with SPE; 7) the pericardiac biopsy hasa low diagnostic yield; 8) the predictive mortality factors are: presentation as PT and tumor etiology, and 9) because of the dynamic character of the SPE, it is important to carry out a progress follow-up of it.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Severo Ochoa. Leganés, Madrid.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eroles Vega
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rondón Fernández
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferreiro López
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romero Pérez
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salcedo Pérez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lacambra Calvet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cuesta Alvaro
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Díaz Abad
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Solís Villa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D002423:Cause of Death; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology