The term pericardium is derived from the Greek prefix peri- (“around”) and kardia (“heart”), implying a structure that envelops or encloses the heart. Morphologically, the pericardium is a fluid ...

From the Medical and Chest Services of Beth-El Hospital. Melvyn Leichtling, M.D. Resident in medicine, Beth-El Hospital. Harry B. Reibstein, M.D. Attending physician in chest diseases, Beth-El ...

The clinical diagnosis of acute pericarditis is based on simple criteria: typical chest pain, pericardial friction rub (Figure 2), widespread ST-segment elevation (Figure 3) and pericardial effusion ...

The pericardium surrounds and protects the heart. When it becomes injured or infected, fluid can build up between its layers. Pericardial effusion, as the condition is called, strains the heart’s ...

Constrictive pericarditis is a rare disorder that occurs when the thin sac that surrounds and protects the heart becomes stiff and thick, limiting the heart’s ability to pump blood. Symptoms may ...

Pericardiocentesis, also called a pericardial tap, is a procedure in which a needle and catheter remove fluid from the pericardium, the sac around your heart. The fluid is tested for signs of ...

Cardiac tamponade occurs when a pericardial effusion exerts a significant amount of pressure externally on the heart, resulting in impaired right ventricular filling eventually causing decreased ...

Tuberculosis (TB) typically affects the lungs but can affect other body areas. If Mycobacterium tuberculosis — the bacteria that causes TB —infects the heart’s pericardium, it can lead to a condition ...

Pericardial actinomycosis is rare and frequently goes unrecognized during life, a circumstance due in part to a paucity of clinical manifestations and to a low rate of positivity in cultures. We ...