ABSTRACT
Echocardiography is requested for patients with known or suspected:
pericardial effusion (Table 15.1) Causes of pericardial effusions<sup> <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref15_1">1</xref> </sup> Common
Infection
Viral (Coxsackievirus, echovirus, HIV), TB, coxiella
Cancer
Angiosarcoma, metastases
Metabolic
Low albumin, hypothyroidism, renal failure
Reactive
Chest infections especially pneumococcal
Systemic inflammatory diseases
SLE, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, systemic sclerosis
Heart failure
Idiopathic
Uncommon
Post radiation
Dressler’s syndrome
Autoimmune pericarditis after post cardiac surgery, myocardial inflarction or trauma
Direct injury
Blunt or sharp chest injury, RF ablation
Drugs
Isoniazid, minoxidil, hydralazine, phenytoin
Aortic dissection
pericardial constriction
pericarditis.
