Pericardial Effusion and Cardiac Tamponade: Etiology and Evolution in the Contemporary Era

Abstract Background: Pericardial effusion is a relatively common finding and can progress to cardiac tamponade; etiological diagnosis is important for guiding treatment decisions. With advances in medicine and improvement in the social context, the most frequent etiological causes have changed. Objectives: To evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics, etiology, and clinical course of patients with pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. Materials and methods: Patients with pericardial effusion classified as small (< 10 mm), moderate (between 10-20 mm), or severe (> 20 mm) were included. Data from the clinical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and complementary tests were evaluated in patients with pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. The significance level was set at 5%. Results: A total of 254 patients with a mean age of 53.09 ± 17.9 years were evaluated, 51.2% of whom were female. A total of 40.4% had significant pericardial effusion (> 20 mm). Pericardial tamponade occurred in 44.1% of patients. Among pericardial effusion patients without tamponade, the most frequent etiologies were: idiopathic (44.4%) and postsurgical (17.6%), while among those with tamponade, the most frequent etiologies were postsurgical (21.4%) and postprocedural (19.6%). The mean follow-up time was 2.2 years. Mortality was 42% and 23.2 in those with and without tamponade, respectively (p=0.001). Conclusions: There is an etiological difference between pericardial effusion patients with and without cardiac tamponade. An idiopathic etiology is more common among those without tamponade, while postinterventional/postsurgical is more common among those with tamponade. The tamponade group had a higher mortality rate.

Trauma cardíaco fatal na cidade de Manaus/AM, Brasil / Fatal cardiac trauma in the city of Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil

RESUMO Objetivo: determinar o índice de trauma cardíaco fatal na cidade de Manaus e esclarecer os mecanismos de trauma e de morte, o tratamento hospitalar prévio, assim como as lesões associadas ao trauma cardíaco. Métodos: estudo retrospectivo, observacional, transversal, que revisou os laudos de necropsias do Instituto Médico Legal de Manaus entre novembro de 2015 e outubro de 2016, cuja causa mortis foi lesão cardíaca. Resultados: o índice de trauma cardíaco foi de 5,98% (138 casos) dentre 2306 necropsias realizadas no período do estudo. Homens foram afetados em 92%. A mediana de idade foi de 27 anos (14 a 83). A arma de fogo foi o mecanismo de trauma em 62,3% e a arma branca em 29,7%. A exsanguinação foi responsável pela maioria das mortes e o tamponamento cardíaco esteve presente em segundo lugar. Óbito no local ocorreu em 86,2%. Os ventrículos foram as câmaras mais lesionadas. O hemotórax foi descrito em 90,6%. Apenas 23 (16,7%) doentes foram removidos até o pronto socorro, porém seis deles (26,2%) não foram submetidos à toracotomia, apenas à drenagem de tórax. O pulmão foi acometido em 57% unilateralmente e 43% bilateralmente. Conclusão: o trauma cardíaco fatal representou um índice de 5,98% na cidade de Manaus. A maioria dos doentes morre na cena do trauma, geralmente devido à exsanguinação causada por ferimento de arma de fogo. Cerca de um quarto dos pacientes que chegaram ao pronto socorro e morreram, não foram diagnosticados com trauma cardíaco em tempo hábil.

ABSTRACT Objective: to determine the frequency of fatal cardiac trauma in the city of Manaus, Brazil, between November 2015 and October 2016, and to clarify the mechanisms of trauma and death, previous hospital treatment, as well as the injuries associated with cardiac trauma. Methods: retrospective, observational, and cross-sectional study, which reviewed the necropsy reports of individuals whose cause of death was cardiac injury. Results: the cardiac trauma rate was of 5.98% (138 cases) out of 2,306 necropsies performed in the study period by Instituto Médico Legal (IML) de Manaus (IML is a Brazilian institute responsible for necropsies and cadaveric reports). Males accounted for 92% of the cases. The median age was 27 years (14-83). Gunshot wounds (GSW) was the trauma mechanism in 62.3% and stab wound (SW) in 29.7%. Exsanguination was responsible for most of the deaths and cardiac tamponade was present in second place. On-site death occurred in 86.2% of the cases. The ventricles were the most common site of cardiac injury. Hemothorax was identified in 90.6% of the individuals. Only 23 patients (16.7%) were taken to the hospital (Emergency Room), but six (26.2%) were submitted only to chest drainage, not to thoracotomy. The lung was unilaterally affected in 57% of the cases and bilaterally in 43%. Conclusion: fatal cardiac trauma represented an index of 5.98% in the city of Manaus. Most patients die at the scene of the trauma, usually due to exsanguination caused by gunshot wound. About a quarter of patients who reached the hospital and died were not diagnosed with cardiac trauma in time.

Right ventricular hydatid cyst ruptured to pericardium.

Cardiac hydatidosis is rare presentation of body hydatidosis. Incidence of cardiac involvements range from 5% to 5% of patients with hydatid disease. Most common site of hydatid cyst in heart is interventricular septum and left ventricular free wall. Right ventricular free wall involvement by cyst that ruptured to pericardial cavity is very rare presentation of hydatid cyst. Cardiac involvement may have serious consequences such as rupture to blood steam or pericardial cavity. Both the disease and its surgical treatment carry a high complication rate, including rupture leading to cardiac tamponade, anaphylaxis and also death. In the present report, a 43‑year‑old man with constrictive pericarditis secondary to a pericardial hydatid cyst is described.

Cardiac tamponade: A small case series.

The term cardiac tamponade describes a condition in which the heart is compressed by an excess of fluid in the pericardial space, with resulting abnormalities of cardiac function. Cardiac tamponade is a rare cause of sudden death. It is difficult to diagnose both in living and dead. In dead diagnosis is difficult at autopsy in absences of external visible injury & in living person the symptoms of cardiac tamponade are non specific. The symptoms relate principally to the secondary circulatory embarrassment. We present the series of cases with cause of death as cardiac tamponade due to diseases & trauma. These cases demonstrate that focus should always to be given to entire vital organs like heart and possibility of tamponade should be kept in mind.

Cardiac tamponade following post myocardial ventricular wall rupture: A case report.

Cardiac tamponade is a clinical syndrome caused by an increase in intrapericardial pressure due to the accumulation of blood, pus, other fluid, or gas in the pericardial space. Cardiac tamponade typically leads to a crisis by decreasing venous return, which impairs diastolic ventricular filling. Ventricular wall rupture is an uncommon complication after a myocardial infarction that is associated with a high mortality rate from pericardial tamponade, especially in the elderly. Cardiac ruptures following acute myocardial infarction include rupture of the left ventricle free-wall, ventricular septal defects, and papillary muscle rupture. Cardiac tamponade is a life-threatening clinical syndrome that requires timely diagnosis. A high index of suspicion of this clinical entity as cause of death during autopsy in suspected cardiac cases is imperative. In recent years, several different therapeutic approaches have been described including percutaneous seals and surgical mechanical closure of ventricular free wall rupture. We present a case of a 41 year-old man who suffered myocardial infarction, had findings of ventricular wall rupture complicated by pericardial tamponade. A brief overview of the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of this challenging and potentially fatal complication is presented.

Sudden death: Following metastasis from carcinoma of breast.

We report a case on sudden death brought to the Department of Forensic Medicine, Gauhati medical college, Assam. Death was due to syncope as a result of cardiac tamponade due to pericardial effusion following metastasis from carcinoma of breast. Death from cardiac tamponade following carcinoma breast is not a usual finding on the autopsy table. These sudden deaths make forensic pathologists aware of the course of natural diseases. Cardiovascular diseases accounts for vast majority of cases and certain neoplasm may also present as sudden death. Malignancy of breast is one of the commonest malignancies in females and often it presents late with metastasis to the underlying organs. The importance of autopsy lies here in the fact that it alleviates the doubts in the minds of the relatives of the deceased and relieves the law of the burden of un-necessary investigations. Moreover, role of pathology in Forensic Medicine in such cases is inevitable in establishing the cause of death.

Derrames pericárdicos crónicos severos idiopáticos / Idiophatic chronic severe pericardial effusion

El objetivo del presente trabajo es determinar la frecuencia la presentación clínica, tratamiento, evolución y pronóstico alejado en pacientes con Derrame Pericárdico Crónico Severo Idiopático (DPCSI)

Survival of 2 extreme pretrem neonates with cardiac tamponade as a complication of percutaneous central venous catheterization

We report 2 extreme preterm neonates who developed cardiac tamponade secondary to perforation of the myocardium by the percutaneous silastic central venous catheters, which were inserted for parental nutrition. Percutaneous pericardiocentesis was performed and pericardial effusion was aspirated, later proved by analysis to be total parental nutrition. The lines were removed and the patients successfully resuscitated and survived, both were sent home in good condition

Corazón Polimiositico: actualización a propósito de un caso / Cardiac Polymiositis: update apropos of a case

El objetivo de este trabajo es la presentación de un caso de Polimiositis que durante las sucesivas reactivaciones de su enfermedad, presentó como manifestación dominante compromiso cardiovascular. Se realiza una actualización sobre el compromiso cardiovascular de esta patología. Paciente de 57 años de edad, sexo femenino, con diagnóstico de Polimiositis y seguimiento durante 10 años (1999-2002). Durante los sucesivos brotes de reactivación, presentó compromiso cardiovascular como manifestación dominante. El tratamiento aplicado en la fase miocardiopática (Corticoides a dosis de 1 gr/día durante 3 días) con mejoría de la fracción de eyección, representa un intento terapéutico no citado en la literatura consultada.