title: Echocardiography of isolated subacute left heart tamponade in a patient with cor pulmonale and circumferential pericardial effusion.
abstract: Patients with advanced idiopathic pulmonary artery hypertension have often a chronic pericardial effusion. It is the result of increased transudation and impaired re-absorption due to elevated venous pressure. These patients have pre-existent symptoms and signs of chronic right heart failure. High degree of suspicion is required to detect of development of an atypical form of tamponade with isolated compression of left heart chambers as shown in present case report. Transthoracic echocardiography provides a rapid access to the correct diagnosis, a prompt relief of symptoms following the ultrasound guided pericardiocentesis and important diagnostic tool for regular follow up of patients thereafter as shown in our case report.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Tomaz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mars
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mikolavcic
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Salobir
authors.forename: Matej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Podbregar
mesh_terms: D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000150:complications*; D011660:Pulmonary Heart Disease / Q000150:complications*