Pericarditis
In rare cases, pericarditis can develop into further problems, some of which can be life-threatening.
Chronic pericarditis is defined as pericarditis that persists for more than three months.
There are two main types of chronic pericarditis:
It's hard to estimate exactly how widespread chronic effusive pericarditis is, as most cases do not cause any noticeable symptoms. One study estimatedthat 1in 20 older adults have some degree of fluid build-upinside their pericardium.
It can cause the following symptoms:
Possible causes of chronic effusive pericarditis include:
However, no obvious cause can be found in many cases.
Medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the first treatment tried.
If medication doesn't work, surgery may be recommended. Chronic effusive pericarditis can be treated with a surgical technique called a pericardiocentesis.
During a pericardiocentesis, a thin plastic tube known as a catheteris passed through the chest and guided into the pericardium. The catheter then drains away the excess fluid.
A local anaesthetic is used to numb the skin of your chest so you will not feel any pain during the procedure.
It is estimatedthat 1in 10 people with a history of acute pericarditis will go on to develop chronic constrictive pericarditis.
The most common symptom of chronic constrictive pericarditis is shortness of breath.
Other symptoms include:
Possible causes of chronic constrictive pericarditis include:
However, no obvious cause can be foundin most cases.
Chronic constrictive pericarditis tends not to respond well to medication, and surgery to remove the pericardium (pericardiectomy) is usually the only cure.
However, this type of surgery carries a1 in 20 risk of causing death, so surgery would only usually be recommended if your symptoms were having a significant adverse effect on your quality of life.
In a very small number of cases, inflammation of the pericardium can lead to a large build-up of fluid inside the pericardium. The extra fluid puts the heart under pressure, which makes it unable to pump blood around the body effectively. This is known as cardiac tamponade.
Cardiac tamponade is a potential complication in all cases of pericarditis, but is more common in cases where pericarditis has been caused bytuberculosis or cancer .
If the heart cannot pump blood at the normal level, blood pressure can drop and cause:
These symptoms can develop very quickly, sometimes within minutes.
Cardiac tamponade is life-threatening and requires emergency treatment. If you have a history of pericarditis and develop the symptoms listed above, call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
Cardiac tamponade is usually treated with a pericardiocentesis.
Pericarditis is swelling of the pericardium, which is the fluid-filled sac that surrounds your heart.
The most common symptom of acute pericarditis is chest pain which is worse when lying down.
It's not always clear what causes pericarditis, although a viral infection is usually suspected.
The first stage in the diagnosis of pericarditis is to ask about your symptoms and recent medical history.
Pericarditis is usually treated with medication, although surgery is used in rare cases.
In rare cases, pericarditis can develop into further problems, some of which can be life-threatening.