| Sudden [[pain]], that lasts for hours or sometimes days before a [[patient]] comes to the [[ER]]
| Sudden [[pain]], that lasts for hours or sometimes days before a [[patient]] comes to the [[ER]]
| Sudden or [[Chronic (medicine)|chronically]] worsening pain that can come and go in [[paroxysm]]s or it can last for hours before the [[patient]] decides to come to the [[ER]]
| Sudden or [[Chronic (medicine)|chronically]] worsening pain that can come and go in [[paroxysm]]s or it can last for hours before the [[patient]] decides to come to the [[ER]]
|}
===Differentiating pericarditis from other diseases on the basis of chest pain, shortness of breath, and tachypnea===
The differentials include the following:<ref name="pmid24550636">{{cite journal |vauthors=Brenes-Salazar JA |title=Westermark's and Palla's signs in acute and chronic pulmonary embolism: Still valid in the current computed tomography era |journal=J Emerg Trauma Shock |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=57–8 |year=2014 |pmid=24550636 |pmc=3912657 |doi=10.4103/0974-2700.125645 |url=}}</ref><ref name="urlCT Angiography of Pulmonary Embolism: Diagnostic Criteria and Causes of Misdiagnosis | RadioGraphics">{{cite web |url=http://pubs.rsna.org/doi/full/10.1148/rg.245045008 |title=CT Angiography of Pulmonary Embolism: Diagnostic Criteria and Causes of Misdiagnosis | RadioGraphics |format= |work= |accessdate=}}</ref><ref name="pmid23940438">{{cite journal |vauthors=Bĕlohlávek J, Dytrych V, Linhart A |title=Pulmonary embolism, part I: Epidemiology, risk factors and risk stratification, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis and nonthrombotic pulmonary embolism |journal=Exp Clin Cardiol |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=129–38 |year=2013 |pmid=23940438 |pmc=3718593 |doi= |url=}}</ref><ref name="urlPulmonary Embolism: Symptoms - National Library of Medicine - PubMed Health">{{cite web |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0022657/ |title=Pulmonary Embolism: Symptoms - National Library of Medicine - PubMed Health |format= |work= |accessdate=}}</ref><ref name="pmid20118395">{{cite journal |vauthors=Ramani GV, Uber PA, Mehra MR |title=Chronic heart failure: contemporary diagnosis and management |journal=Mayo Clin. Proc. |volume=85 |issue=2 |pages=180–95 |year=2010 |pmid=20118395 |pmc=2813829 |doi=10.4065/mcp.2009.0494 |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid18215495">{{cite journal |vauthors=Blinderman CD, Homel P, Billings JA, Portenoy RK, Tennstedt SL |title=Symptom distress and quality of life in patients with advanced congestive heart failure |journal=J Pain Symptom Manage |volume=35 |issue=6 |pages=594–603 |year=2008 |pmid=18215495 |pmc=2662445 |doi=10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2007.06.007 |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid19168510">{{cite journal |vauthors=Hawkins NM, Petrie MC, Jhund PS, Chalmers GW, Dunn FG, McMurray JJ |title=Heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: diagnostic pitfalls and epidemiology |journal=Eur. J. Heart Fail. |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=130–9 |year=2009 |pmid=19168510 |pmc=2639415 |doi=10.1093/eurjhf/hfn013 |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid9465867">{{cite journal |vauthors=Takasugi JE, Godwin JD |title=Radiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |journal=Radiol. Clin. North Am. |volume=36 |issue=1 |pages=29–55 |year=1998 |pmid=9465867 |doi= |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid14651761">{{cite journal |vauthors=Wedzicha JA, Donaldson GC |title=Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |journal=Respir Care |volume=48 |issue=12 |pages=1204–13; discussion 1213–5 |year=2003 |pmid=14651761 |doi= |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid23833163">{{cite journal |vauthors=Nakawah MO, Hawkins C, Barbandi F |title=Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the overlap syndrome |journal=J Am Board Fam Med |volume=26 |issue=4 |pages=470–7 |year=2013 |pmid=23833163 |doi=10.3122/jabfm.2013.04.120256 |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid20511488">{{cite journal |vauthors=Khandaker MH, Espinosa RE, Nishimura RA, Sinak LJ, Hayes SN, Melduni RM, Oh JK |title=Pericardial disease: diagnosis and management |journal=Mayo Clin. Proc. |volume=85 |issue=6 |pages=572–93 |year=2010 |pmid=20511488 |pmc=2878263 |doi=10.4065/mcp.2010.0046 |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid23610095">{{cite journal |vauthors=Bogaert J, Francone M |title=Pericardial disease: value of CT and MR imaging |journal=Radiology |volume=267 |issue=2 |pages=340–56 |year=2013 |pmid=23610095 |doi=10.1148/radiol.13121059 |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid11680112">{{cite journal |vauthors=Gharib AM, Stern EJ |title=Radiology of pneumonia |journal=Med. Clin. North Am. |volume=85 |issue=6 |pages=1461–91, x |year=2001 |pmid=11680112 |doi= |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid23507061">{{cite journal |vauthors=Schmidt WA |title=Imaging in vasculitis |journal=Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=107–18 |year=2013 |pmid=23507061 |doi=10.1016/j.berh.2013.01.001 |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid16891436">{{cite journal |vauthors=Suresh E |title=Diagnostic approach to patients with suspected vasculitis |journal=Postgrad Med J |volume=82 |issue=970 |pages=483–8 |year=2006 |pmid=16891436 |pmc=2585712 |doi=10.1136/pgmj.2005.042648 |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid123074">{{cite journal |vauthors=Stein PD, Dalen JE, McIntyre KM, Sasahara AA, Wenger NK, Willis PW |title=The electrocardiogram in acute pulmonary embolism |journal=Prog Cardiovasc Dis |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=247–57 |year=1975 |pmid=123074 |doi= |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid23413894">{{cite journal |vauthors=Warnier MJ, Rutten FH, Numans ME, Kors JA, Tan HL, de Boer A, Hoes AW, De Bruin ML |title=Electrocardiographic characteristics of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |journal=COPD |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=62–71 |year=2013 |pmid=23413894 |doi=10.3109/15412555.2012.727918 |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid23000104">{{cite journal |vauthors=Stein PD, Matta F, Ekkah M, Saleh T, Janjua M, Patel YR, Khadra H |title=Electrocardiogram in pneumonia |journal=Am. J. Cardiol. |volume=110 |issue=12 |pages=1836–40 |year=2012 |pmid=23000104 |doi=10.1016/j.amjcard.2012.08.019 |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid26209947">{{cite journal |vauthors=Hazebroek MR, Kemna MJ, Schalla S, Sanders-van Wijk S, Gerretsen SC, Dennert R, Merken J, Kuznetsova T, Staessen JA, Brunner-La Rocca HP, van Paassen P, Cohen Tervaert JW, Heymans S |title=Prevalence and prognostic relevance of cardiac involvement in ANCA-associated vasculitis: eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis and granulomatosis with polyangiitis |journal=Int. J. Cardiol. |volume=199 |issue= |pages=170–9 |year=2015 |pmid=26209947 |doi=10.1016/j.ijcard.2015.06.087 |url=}}</ref><ref name="pmid20112390">{{cite journal |vauthors=Dennert RM, van Paassen P, Schalla S, Kuznetsova T, Alzand BS, Staessen JA, Velthuis S, Crijns HJ, Tervaert JW, Heymans S |title=Cardiac involvement in Churg-Strauss syndrome |journal=Arthritis Rheum. |volume=62 |issue=2 |pages=627–34 |year=2010 |pmid=20112390 |doi=10.1002/art.27263 |url=}}</ref><small>
{|
|- style="background: #4479BA; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;"
! rowspan="2" |<small>Diseases</small>
! colspan="3" |<small>Diagnostic tests</small>
! colspan="3" |<small>Physical Examination</small>
| colspan="7" |<small>Symptoms
! colspan="1" rowspan="2" |<small>Past medical history</small>
! rowspan="2" |<small>Other Findings</small>
|- style="background: #4479BA; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;"
!<small>CT scan and MRI</small>
!<small>EKG</small>
!<small>Chest X-ray</small>
!<small>Tachypnea</small>
!<small>Tachycardia</small>
!<small>Fever</small>
!<small>Chest Pain</small>
!<small>Hemoptysis</small>
!<small>Dyspnea on Exertion</small>
!<small>Wheezing</small>
!<small>Chest Tenderness</small>
!<small>Nasalopharyngeal Ulceration</small>
!<small>Carotid Bruit</small>
|-
| style="background: #DCDCDC; padding: 5px; text-align: center;" |[[Percarditis]]
* May be associated with [[metabolic alkalosis]] and [[syncope]]
|-
| style="background: #DCDCDC; padding: 5px; text-align: center;" |[[Congestive heart failure]]
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |
*On [[Computed tomography|CT scan]]:
**[[Mediastinal lymphadenopathy]]
** Hazy [[mediastinal]] fat
*On [[Magnetic resonance imaging|MRI]]:
** Abnormality of [[cardiac]] chambers ([[Hypertrophy (medical)|hypertrophy]], dilation)
** Delayed enhancement [[MRI]] may help characterize the [[myocardial]] [[Tissue (biology)|tissue]] ([[fibrosis]])
** Late enhancement of contrast in conditions such as [[myocarditis]], [[sarcoidosis]], [[amyloidosis]], [[Anderson-Fabry disease|Anderson-Fabry]]'s disease, [[Chagas disease]])
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |
*Goldberg's criteria may aid in diagnosis of left ventricular dysfunction: (High specificity)
**[[S wave|S]]V1 or [[S wave|S]]V2 + [[R wave|R]]V5 or [[R wave|R]]V6 ≥3.5 mV
**Total [[QRS complex|QRS]] amplitude in each of the limb leads ≤0.8 mV
**[[R wave|R]]/[[S wave|S]] ratio <1 in lead V4
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |
*[[Cardiomegaly]]
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |✔
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |✔
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |✔
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" | -
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" | -
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |✔
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" | -
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" | -
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" | -
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" | -
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |
*Previous [[myocardial infarction]]
*[[Hypertension]] ([[Systemic hypertension|systemic]] and [[Pulmonary hypertension|pulmonary]])
*Non-specific [[ST interval|ST segment]] and [[T wave]] changes
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |
*[[Nodule (medicine)|Nodules]]
*[[Cavitation]]
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |✔
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |✔
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |✔
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |✔
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |✔
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |✔
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" | -
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |✔
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |✔
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |✔
| style="background: #F5F5F5; padding: 5px;" |
*[[Takayasu's arteritis|Takayasu arteritis]] usually found in persons aged 4-60 years with a mean of 30
*[[Giant-cell arteritis]] usually occurrs in persons aged > 60 years
*[[Churg-Strauss syndrome]] may present with [[asthma]], [[sinusitis]], transient [[pulmonary]] infiltrates and neuropathy alongwith [[cardiac]] involvement
*Granulomatous vasculitides may present with [[nephritis]] and [[upper airway]] ([[nasopharyngeal]]) destruction
Radiation therapy disrupts endothelial cells of the microvasculature of the pericardium and leads to repeated episodes of ischemia. The final result is the formation of fibrosis and fibrinous exudates that are ultimately replaced by fibroblasts and collagen fibers [2][3][4][5].
Radiation-induced pericarditis depends on:
Total dose of radiation
Amount of cardiac silhouette exposed
Nature of the radiation source
Duration and fractionation of therapy
In a retrospective study, 27.7% of the patients developed pericardial effusion after median time period of 5.3 months following radiotherapy for esophageal carcinoma with radiation dose ranging between 3 to 50Gy. It was concluded that high dose-volume of the irradiated pericardium and heart increased the risk of developing pericarditis[6].
Causes
Radiation-induced pericardial disease can occur in any cancer survivor who receive thoracic radiation therapy, including breast cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, esophageal cancer, and lung cancer. However, most data come from patients treated for breast cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma, in which radiation therapy is a frequent component of management.
Differentiating Radiation-induced Pericarditis from other Diseases
Sudden pain, that lasts for hours or sometimes days before a patient comes to the ER
Sudden or chronically worsening pain that can come and go in paroxysms or it can last for hours before the patient decides to come to the ER
Epidemiology and Demographics
Pericardial changes are the most common cardiac complications of radiation therapy[3]. Incidence of radiation induced pericarditis has significantly decreased with the use of lower doses and newer radiotherapy techniques [8][9][10]. In a study, incidence decreased from 20% to 2.5% with the changes in methods of RT administration[8]
In as study among pediatric population with various cancers, radiation therapy with ≥15 GY increased the risk of developing pericarditis by two to six times[11]
Risk Factors
Screening
Natural History, Complications, and Prognosis
Diagnosis
Diagnostic Study of Choice
There are no established criteria for radiation induced pericarditis.
History and Symptoms
Acute pericarditis: Acute pericarditis is a rare complication of radiation therapy. It presents with nonspecific pericarditis symptoms such as chest pain and fever shortly after radiation therapy[1][3].
Delayed pericarditis: Delayed pericarditis occurs from months to years after exposure to radiation [12][13]. It usually presents with:
Chest pain
Dyspnea
Orthopnea
Pericardial effusion: Protein-rich exudate may accumulate in the pericardial sac leading to pericardial effusion. Rapid accumulation may result in the development of cardiac tamponade presenting with clinical signs and symptoms of tamponade[3][12].
Constrictive pericarditis: Constrictive pericarditis is a late complication of radiation therapy. Patients typically present with signs and symptoms of heart failure, similar to other causes of constrictive pericarditis[3].
Physical Examination
Physical examination of patients with radiation-induced pericarditis depends on the presentation. In acute pericarditis, the physical examination may show fever and pericardial rub.
In patients presenting with tamponade physical examination may show:
Hypotension
Tachycardia
Jugular venous distention with a prominent Y descent
Kussmaul's sign, and distant heart sounds
In constrictive pericarditis, signs of congestive heart failure may be present, including:
Laboratory findings consistent with the diagnosis of radiation-induced acute pericarditis include elevated inflammatory markers such as neutrophil count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)[3].
Electrocardiogram
In acute pericarditis, non-specific ST and T wave changes or ST segment elevation in all leads may be noted[1][3].
Acute pericarditis
In patients presenting with constrictive pericarditis, electrocardiographic changes are similar to other causes of constrictive pericarditis. Electrocardiographic signs of constrictive chronic pericarditis is usually inconsistent and non specific[14]
Left atrial enlargement
Frequent atrial arrhythmias
Right axis deflection
Possible reduction in voltages
Diffuse negative T-waves
Typical (normal QRS axis, low voltage, and generalized T wave flattening or inversion)
Pericardiocentesis can be used to differentiate them with fluid analysis for malignant cells and thyroid function tests.
For more information on pericardiocentesis, click here.
Treatment
Medical Therapy
Surgery
Pericarditis with large effusion can be drained either percutaneously or surgically
Those with recurrent pericardial effusion can be treated with pericardiotomy(pericardial window) or by surgical stripping.
Pericardiectomy is recommended for patients who develop constrictive pericarditis. However, the perioperative mortality rate is higher in postradiation constrictive pericarditis compared to that of idiopathic constrictive pericarditis[15].
↑American College of Physicians (ACP). Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP-15): Cardiovascular Medicine. "Pericardial disease." p. 64. ISBN 978-934465-28-8 [1]
↑Mulrooney DA, Yeazel MW, Kawashima T, Mertens AC, Mitby P, Stovall M; et al. (2009). "Cardiac outcomes in a cohort of adult survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer: retrospective analysis of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study cohort". BMJ. 339: b4606. doi:10.1136/bmj.b4606. PMID19996459.CS1 maint: Explicit use of et al. (link) CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
