Pericarditis echocardiography
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Pericarditis Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Surgery |
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Case Studies |
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Pericarditis echocardiography On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Pericarditis echocardiography |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Pericarditis echocardiography |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Varun Kumar, M.B.B.S.; Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.
Overview
The role of echocardiography in the evaluation of the patient with pericarditis is to chracterize the presence, size, location and hemodynamic impact of a pericardial effusion.
Echocardiography
- The American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the American Society of Echocardiography in its recommendations on Echocardiography gave strong recommendations for echocardiography in pericardial disease [1].
- Two dimensional and Doppler echocardiography should be done in all suspected cases of cardiac tamponade and pericardial effusion.
- Follow up / sequential echocardiography for assessment of impending cardiac tamponade should be considered.
- Helps in diagnosing pericardial disease, hemodynamic parameters (pressure in different cardiac chambers).
Echocardiographic findings in cardiac tamponade
- Presence of moderate and large pericardial effusion.
- Swinging of the heart within the effusion
- Reversal of right atrial and right ventricular diastolic transmural pressures.
- Cardiac chamber collapse can occur during later stages. Right atrium and right ventricle are the commonest to collapse when intrapericardial pressure exceeds intracardiac pressure within any particular chamber.
- Right atrial collapse
- Collapse of right atrium at end diastole - Right atrial pressure is minimal during diastole. However, pericardial pressure is maximal in diastole. Due to this the first signs of collapse could be seen during right atrial diastole.
- Right atrial collapse if persists for > 1/3rd of cardiac cycle is a good indicator of impending tamponade.
- Transient right atrial collapse can occur normally also.
- Diastolic collapse of right ventricle is very specific for cardiac tamponade.
- Diastolic left atrial collapse are very specific for cardiac tampoande
- Left ventricle collapse is uncommon due to high thickness of ventricular wall.
Advantages of Other Imaging Modalities
- Pericardial CT is the optimal technology to assess perciardial calcification
Pericardial effusion secondary to pericarditis is seen on echocardiogram as a large hypoechoic region surrounding the heart. A swinging motion of the heart with each beat may also be noted in the setting of cardiac tamponade. It is this swinging motion that gives rise to electrical alternans. Echocardiography demonstrates the collection of pericardial fluid. The best view to visualize a pericardial effusion is the subcostal view. Signs of more advanced tamponade include indentation of the atrium and ventricle, and in later stages collapse of these structures. The location of the fluid should be characterized so that the feasability and safety of pericardiocentesis can be assessed. For example, the location of the fluid should be characterized as either circumferential, posterior or anterior. The cm of fluid thickness should be characterized. The presence of loculations should be described. Usually pericardiocentesis can be performed if there is over 0.5 cm of anterior fluid.
Pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade
In pericardial effusion, large hypoechoic regions are seen surrounding the heart with presence of oscillatory motion of heart.
The echocardiogram below demonstrates swinging motion of the heart in cardiac tamponade. {{#ev:youtube|U4xQ3-VRiNg}}
Echocardiography of heart with loculated pericardial effusion compressing the left ventricle. {{#ev:youtube|unnmmlCyyZM}}
Cardiac tamponade {{#ev:youtube|YWVI6rRTIzU}}
Cardiac tamponade {{#ev:youtube|_az8_V6bHE8}}
Left ventricular free wall rupture with cardiac tamponade {{#ev:youtube|g9TdKcFRiLo}}
Collapse of right ventricle in patient with cardiac tamponade {{#ev:youtube|dwJkJr00v5c}}
References
- ↑ Cheitlin MD, Armstrong WF, Aurigemma GP, Beller GA, Bierman FZ, Davis JL, Douglas PS, Faxon DP, Gillam LD, Kimball TR, Kussmaul WG, Pearlman AS, Philbrick JT, Rakowski H, Thys DM, Antman EM, Smith SC, Alpert JS, Gregoratos G, Anderson JL, Hiratzka LF, Hunt SA, Fuster V, Jacobs AK, Gibbons RJ, Russell RO (2003). "ACC/AHA/ASE 2003 guideline update for the clinical application of echocardiography: summary article: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (ACC/AHA/ASE Committee to Update the 1997 Guidelines for the Clinical Application of Echocardiography)". Circulation. 108 (9): 1146–62. doi:10.1161/01.CIR.0000073597.57414.A9. PMID 12952829. Retrieved 2012-09-14. Unknown parameter
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