Biomaterial Database

Massive pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade secundary to cholesterol pericarditis. 2012

Arturo González Raya, and Cristóbal Avivar Oyonarte, and Pilar Benayas Bellido

Integrated Biotechnology Area, Poniente Hospital, El Ejido (Almería), Spain. arturo.gonzalez@ephpo.es

The presence of cholesterol crystals in the pericardial fluid is a very rare finding of unknown pathogenesis with no more than 100 reported cases in literature. Patients with cholesterol pericarditis usually have large volume spills of slow development that are well tolerated, rarely causing cardiac tamponade or constrictive pericarditis. We report a case of cholesterol pericarditis with a severe pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade in a patient with an uncertain diagnosis of tuberculosis.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010490	Pericardial Effusion	Fluid accumulation within the PERICARDIUM. Serous effusions are associated with pericardial diseases. Hemopericardium is associated with trauma. Lipid-containing effusion (chylopericardium) results from leakage of THORACIC DUCT. Severe cases can lead to CARDIAC TAMPONADE.	Chylopericardium,Hemopericardium,Chylopericardiums,Effusion, Pericardial,Effusions, Pericardial,Pericardial Effusions
D010493	Pericarditis	Inflammation of the PERICARDIUM from various origins, such as infection, neoplasm, autoimmune process, injuries, or drug-induced. Pericarditis usually leads to PERICARDIAL EFFUSION, or CONSTRICTIVE PERICARDITIS.	Pleuropericarditis
D002305	Cardiac Tamponade	Compression of the heart by accumulated fluid (PERICARDIAL EFFUSION) or blood (HEMOPERICARDIUM) in the PERICARDIUM surrounding the heart. The affected cardiac functions and CARDIAC OUTPUT can range from minimal to total hemodynamic collapse.	Pericardial Tamponade,Cardiac Tamponades,Pericardial Tamponades,Tamponade, Cardiac,Tamponade, Pericardial,Tamponades, Cardiac,Tamponades, Pericardial
D002784	Cholesterol	The principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in animal fats and oils.	Epicholesterol
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man