title: Echocardiographically guided pericardiocentesis for treatment of clinically significant pericardial effusion in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the safety and efficacy of echocardiographically guided pericardiocentesis for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and hemodynamically significant pericardial effusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified 16 patients with RA who underwent 18 echocardiographically guided pericardiocentesis procedures at our institution over a 20-year period. Clinical and laboratory characteristics of the patients, response to treatment, complications, and need for future pericardial surgery were abstracted from the echocardiography database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten patients were men and 6 were women (mean age, 62 yrs; range, 36-75 yrs). On average, patients were diagnosed with RA 11 years before pericardial disease developed. Twelve of 15 patients were seropositive for rheumatoid factor, 10 patients had radiographic evidence of erosions, and 7 patients had rheumatoid nodules. Cardiac tamponade was present in 11 of the 18 cases. Mean volume drained on the first pericardiocentesis was 504 +/- 264 ml (range 120-1000 ml). The fluid was an exudate with a mean protein concentration of 5 g/dl (range 3.3-51.1 g/dl). All cultures and cytologic findings were negative for bacteria and neoplastic cells. No serious complications resulted from echocardiographically guided pericardiocentesis. For 11 patients, a catheter was placed for intermittent drainage over an average of 3 days. Seven patients ultimately required a more definitive surgical procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Echocardiographically guided pericardiocentesis is a safe and effective treatment for this uncommon but serious complication of RA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Sanderson A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Cauduro
authors.forename: Kevin G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Moder
authors.forename: Harvinder S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Luthra
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Seward
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D020519:Pericardiocentesis / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome