[Analysis of clinical, echocardiographic, microbiological and cytopathological characteristics of pericardial effusions in a tertiary hospital care].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence, etiology, clinical, echocardiographic, microbiological and cytopathological characteristics of patients with pericardial effusion.


METHODS
Observational, retrospective, cross-sectional analytical study. We reviewed medical records of patients undergoing pericardiocentesis for a 5 years period. We used descriptive statistics, measures of central tendency and dispersion for analysis.


RESULTS
The prevalence of pericardial effusion was 1.1%. Predominant in women (60.4%) and there was a mean age of 49 years. The main causes were neoplastic 32.1%, idiopathic 27.4% and rheumatological 10.4%. A percentage of 27.1 had cardiac tamponade whereas dyspnea and muffled heart sounds were the most common clinical data. The right atrial and ventricular collapse occurred in 84.9 and 75.5%, respectively. The pericardial fluid cytology yielded better in neoplastic causes a sensitivity of 54%, specificity 95%, positive predictive value 85% and negative predictive value 81%.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of pericardial effusion in a tertiary care hospital was 1.1%, the main cause was neoplastic. In the evaluation of moderate or severe pericardial effusion we found that right atrial and ventricular collapses were the most common echocardiographic findings. The cytopathological study had a high specificity for the diagnosis of neoplasia.
Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Departamento de Cardiología, Hospital de Cardiología # 34, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Electronic address: josesantacruz80@hotmail.com.
José Martín
JM
Santa Cruz-Ruiz
Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Departamento de Cardiología, Hospital de Cardiología # 34, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.
Guillermo
G
Sahagún-Sánchez
Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Departamento de Patología, Hospital de Cardiología # 34, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.
Diana
D
González-Cabello
Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Departamento de Patología, Hospital de Cardiología # 34, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.
Nydia
N
Sánchez-González
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D020519:Pericardiocentesis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000150:complications; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017678:Sex Distribution; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult
Citopatología; Cytopathology; Derrame pericárdico; Mexico; México; Pericardial effusion; Prevalence; Prevalencia; Tamponade; Taponamiento