The pericardial fluid found in CVC-associated PCE is consistent with the infusate. We speculate that there are several mechanisms, ranging from frank perforation that seals spontaneously to CVC tip adhesion to the myocardium with diffusion into the pericardial space. Routine radiography should be performed, and the CVC tip should be readily identifiable. The CVC tip should remain outside the cardiac silhouette but still within the vena cavae (approximately 1 cm outside the cardiac silhouette in premature infants and 2 cm in term infants). A change in cardiothoracic ratio may be diagnostic of a PCE, and pericardiocentesis is associated with significantly reduced mortality. Increased awareness of this complication may decrease the mortality associated with CVC-related PCE.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia was diagnosed in a 28-year-old pregnant woman at 13 gestational weeks. She was immediately started on idarubicin and all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and achieved remission after her fourth cycle of treatment. Serial fetal ultrasonograms throughout pregnancy did not reveal any intrauterine growth retardation or other obvious malformations. The mother delivered a term (36.7 gestational weeks), 2720-gram female neonate. The infant was admitted to the intermediate care nursery for observation due to transient mild respiratory distress during the peripartum period. Because of right ventricular hypertrophy on an electrocardiogram, an echocardiogram was performed on the first day of life which showed moderate dilation of the right atrium and right ventricle with mildly depressed function, two small secundum atrial septal defects, and a small patent ductus arteriosus. The neonate remained hemodynamically stable and no arrhythmias were detected. The remainder of the hospital course was uneventful. When reassessed 1-1/2 months later, she was doing well and did not show any signs of congestive heart failure. A repeat echocardiogram at that time demonstrated complete resolution of the right heart enlargement and closure of the ductus arteriosus with persistence of the small and hemodynamically insignificant secundum atrial septal defects.

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