Pericardial Effusion

PERICARDIAL FLUID ACCUMILATION Accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal sac may be watery or prude blood. There are two types  Pericardial effusion  Haemo pericardium PERICARDIAL EFFUSION (hydropericarium)

Alfrin Antony Asst Lecturer Department of pathology +919738286092

INTRODUCTION:-Normally, pericardial cavity contains 30 to 50 ml of clear watery fluid. Considerable quantities of fluid (up to 1000ml)can be accommodated in the pericardial cavity without seriously affecting the cardiac function if the accumulation is slow. But sudden accumulation of a smaller volume (upto250ml) may produce deficient diastolic filling of the cardiac chambers (cardiac tamponade) ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY:- layers of heart DEFINITION:-Accumulation of fluid in the pericardial cavity due to non-inflammatory causes is called hydro pericardium or pericardial effusion TYPES: Serous effusions  Serosanguineous effusion  Chylous effusion  Cholesterol effusion a). SEROUS EFFUSIONS:-This is the most common type Occurring in conditions in which there is generalized edema e.g: CHF, renal, nutritional and hepatic causes. The serous effusion is clear, watery, straw-colored with specific cavity less than 1.015 b). SEROSANGUINEOUS EFFUSION:- This type is fond following blunt trauma to chest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. c). CHYLOUS EFFUSION:- Milky or chylous fluid accumulation in conditions causing lymphatic obstruction. d). CHOLESTROL EFFUSION:- This is a rare type of fluid accumulation cauterized by the presence of cholesterol crystals such as in myxoedema 2.HAEMOPERICARDIUM:Accumulation of pure blood in the pericardial sac is termed haemopericardium.(the condition must be distinguished from hemorrhagic pericarditis in which there is escape of small quantities of blood into the pericardial cavity. Massive and sudden bleeding into sudden into sac causes compression of the heart leading to cardiac tamponade Causes: Rupture of the heart though a myocardial infract  Rupture of dissecting aneurysm  Bleeding diathesis such as in scurvy, acute leukaemias, thrombocytopenia, trauma following cardiopulmonary resuscitation or by laceration of a coronary artery