What is a Pneumopericardium?

What is a Pneumopericardium?

Pneumopericardium is a rare disease defined as the presence of air or gas in the pericardial sac.

What can cause pericardial effusion?

Causes of pericardial effusion may include:

• Autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
• Cancer of the heart or pericardium.
• Spread of cancer (metastasis), particularly lung cancer, breast cancer or Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
• Radiation therapy for cancer if the heart was in the area of the radiation.
• Chest trauma.

Who is most at risk for cardiac tamponade?

Things that raise the risk of cardiac tamponade are:

• Heart surgery, or injury to the heart.
• Tumors in the heart.
• Heart attack or congestive heart failure.
• Lung cancer.
• Kidney failure.
• Radiation therapy to the chest.
• Hypothyroidism.

What is the difference between pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium?

Differential diagnosis A pneumopericardium can usually be distinguished from pneumomediastinum since gas in the pericardial sac should not rise above the anatomic limits of the pericardial reflection on the proximal great vascular pedicle.

How is pneumomediastinum different from pneumopericardium?

A large amount of air is seen on both sides of the thin pericardium and below the heart with a small amount of air tracking along the soft tissues of the neck. The air within the pericardial space indicates the pneumopericardium while that outside indicates the pneumomediastinum.

Does pericardial effusion go away?

How is it treated? If there is only a small amount of extra fluid in your pericardium, you may not need treatment. The extra fluid may go away on its own. Treatment depends on the cause of the extra fluid, the amount of fluid, and your symptoms.

How serious is a small pericardial effusion?

Most times, it’s small and causes no serious problems. If it’s large, it can compress your heart and hamper its ability to pump blood. This condition, called cardiac tamponade, is potentially life-threatening. To find the cause of a pericardial effusion, your doctor may take a sample of the pericardial fluid.