title: Treatment of pericardial disease.
abstract: The pericardium is composed of visceral and parietal components. In view of the pericardium's simple structure, pathologic processes involving it are understandably few. However, despite a limited number of clinical syndromes, the pericardium is affected by virtually every category of disease, including infectious, neoplastic, immune-inflammatory, metabolic, iatrogenic, and traumatic. Thus, the recognition of pericardial heart disease remains challenging. Treatment of pericardial disease is also problematic in that there is a paucity of randomized, placebo-controlled trials from which appropriate therapy may be selected and important clinical decisions assisted. This article reviews pericarditis and its sequelae, pericardial effusions, cardiac tamponade and constrictive pericarditis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA. bdh6@case.edu
authors.forename: Salman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Azam
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Hoit
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000601:surgery; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000601:surgery; D010492:Pericardiectomy; D020519:Pericardiocentesis; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D010496:Pericardium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents