Pericardial Diseases

Abstract

Pathophysiology PericarditisPericarditis is the most common disease of the pericardium encountered in clinical practice. It is diagnosed in 0.1 % of all admissions and 5 % of emergency room admissions for chest pain [ 8 ]. AbstractPericardial diseases are relatively common in clinical practice and may occur either as isolated disease or as a manifestation of a systemic disorder. A targeted etiological search should be directed to the most likely cause on the basis of the clinical background, epidemiological issues, or specifi c presentations. Clinicians should consider neoplastic, tuberculous, and purulent causes, as well as forms related to a systemic disease. Most cases remain idiopathic, and empiric anti-infl ammatory therapy should be considered as fi rst-line therapy in most cases with the possible addition of colchicine in the setting of infl ammatory pericardial diseases especially those that relapse or do not respond to fi rst-line drugs. The prognosis is determined by the underlying cause, with bacterial and neoplastic forms having the worst prognosis. Contemporary optimal management of the patient with suspected pericardial disease often requires the selection and integration of different imaging modalities.