1. Heart -Pathology
Pericardial diseases
 Effusions collection of fluids (Serous, Pus, blood etc.,)
 Clinical depends on rapidity (if rapid – cardiac tamponade)
 X-ray  globoid heart
 Inflammation  Acute & chronic
 Primary & Acute  mostly viral
 Chronic TB & Fungal
 Special forms
 Constrictive Pericarditis = MCC- TB, Pericardium is 1 cm thick, Rxpericardectomy
 Rheumatoid Arthritis = Fibrinous Pericarditis ( most common
finding)
 Dressler’s syndrome= post –MI Pericarditis
1
Dr. Krishna Tadepalli, MD, www.mletips.com

2. Heart -Pathology
Pericardial diseases
 Types 
Pericarditis
serous, Fibrinous, Purulent,
Feature
Serous
Fibrinous
Cause
viral, RF,
SLE, uremia
RF, SLE, Uremia Immunosuppression
Malignant, TB
Cells
Lymphocyte
WBC, RBC,
Fibrin
Pus ( Neutrophils
Blood +
malignant
cells
Frequency
Common
Most common
-
-
Complicatio
n
Nature
Purulent
Hemorrhagic
Constrictive
Pericarditis
Transudate
Variable
Exudate
exudate
2
Dr. Krishna Tadepalli, MD, www.mletips.com