title: Evaluation of pericardial sinuses and recesses with 2-, 4-, 16-, and 64-row multidetector CT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe visualisation rate and appearance of all pericardial sinuses and recesses and to evaluate whether there is a significant difference between visualisation of these sinuses and recesses on 2-, 4-, 16- and 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analysed 588 MDCT scans of the chest obtained with a protocol for pulmonary embolism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The visualisation rate of any pericardial recess was 85.2%. The rates on 2-, 4-, 16- and 64-slice MDCT were 74.7%, 90.6%, 90.3% and 88.7%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in visualisation rates of pericardial recesses between 2-slice MDCT and other MDCT systems (p<0.01). Age, and 4-, 16- and 64-slice MDCT versus 2-slice MDCT and the presence of pleural effusion appeared as significant predictors of the presence of any recess.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Visualisation rates of pericardial recesses are higher with 4-, 16- and 64-slice MDCT than with 2-slice MDCT. Therefore, radiologists need to be familiar with the different appearances of pericardial recesses on MDCT to avoid misdiagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Dicle University School of Medicine, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey. cihanakgul@gmail.com
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ozmen
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Akpinar
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Akay
authors.forename: F B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Demirkazik
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ariyurek
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed