ABSTRACT
A disease or condition, the cause of which is not known or which
arises spontaneously.
• Chest pain •
Pericardial friction rub
— Rubbing together of inflamed pericardial layers may be heard through a stethoscope
• Low-grade fever •
Dyspnea
— Shallow breathing to avoid chest pain • Electrocardiographic changes
• Accumulation of fluid in the pericardial cavity • May result from injury, inflammation, uremia, cancer, myocardial
infarction, cardiac rupture, congestive heart failure or renal failure
• Not clinically significant until sufficient fluid accumulates to compress the myocardium.
