Pericardial disease

Abstract

Disorders of the pericardium may present abruptly as acute pericarditis, dramatically as cardiac temponade or insidiously with pericardial effusion or as constrictive pericarditis. The clinical features are often diagnostic but signs can be evanescent (for instance, pericardial rub) or open to misinterpretation as when pericardial constriction is misdiagnosed as cardiac failure. Extensive cardiac investigations may be required to solve difficult problems but pericardial disease should always be considered in obscure cardiac disorders otherwise a remediable disorder may be overlooked.