This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Arthur L. Riba, MD; Joel Morganroth, MD

JAMA. 1976;236(23):2623-2625.

Abstract
In a consecutive series of 1,225 routine echocardiograms, a pericardial effusion (PE) was present in 15% and was considered substantial in 10%. Sixty-one percent (68/111) of the latter were clinically unsuspected. A retrospective analysis of these patients showed that 60% (41/68) had underlying heart disease such as congestive heart failure, left ventricular hypertrophy, or asymmetric septal hypertrophy without other discernible causes for PE. In patients referred specifically for suspected pericardial effusion, 67% (29/43) had diseases recognized as causes of pericardial effusion. Unsuspected substantial PE are commonly detected by echocardiography, especially in patients with underlying heart disease.

(JAMA 236:2623-2625, 1976)

Author Affiliations
From the Non-Invasive Laboratory, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Cardiovascular Section, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

Footnotes
Reprint requests to 939 Gates Pavilion, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Dr Morganroth).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Pericardial Effusion and Left Ventricular Function in Patients With Acute Alcoholic Pancreatitis
Variyam and Shah
Arch Intern Med 1987;147:923-925.
ABSTRACT