Akhwand Shakeel Ahmad, Aziz Ur Rehhan, Abdul Sattar.
Etiology of Pericardial Effusion in patients admitted to Medical/Cardiology wards of Mayo Hospital, Lahore.
Pak J Cardiol Jan ;10(4):121-26.

Neoplastic pericarditis is the most common specific cause of effusion in developed countries. This study was meant to evaluate the etiology prevalent in our set-up. Thirty consecutive adult patients admitted in Mayo Hospital with pericardial effusion confirmed on echocardiography, were investigated to determine the cause. Pericardiocentesis and pericardial biopsy was carried out if diagnosis remained unclear. Pregnant females and asymptomatic small pericardial effusions in the patients of myocardial infarction, uremia and following cardiac surgery were excluded. Tuberculosis was the cause of pericardial effusion in 14 (46.7%) patients. There were 4 (13.3%) patients of malignancy, 3 (10%) each of post-traumatic/iatrogenic and myxedema, 2 (6.7%) each of uremia and rheumatic fever, and 1 (3.3%) of Dressler`s and postpericardiotomy syndrome each. Twelve (40%) patients presented in cardiac tamponade, of which 4 (33.3%) had tuberculosis and 4 (33.3%) had neoplastic pericarditis. Overall tuberculosis is the commonest cause of pericardial effusion. The malignancy becomes increasingly important and has equal frequency as tuberculosis in patients presenting with cardiac tamponade.

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