Transthoracic echocardiography is crucial for detecting atypical left heart tamponade in patients with advanced pulmonary hypertension and chronic pericardial effusion.
Supports TTE for atypical tamponade in pulmonary hypertension; hypothesis-generating and warrants prospective validation.
Patients with advanced idiopathic pulmonary artery hypertension have often a chronic pericardial effusion. It is the result of increased transudation and impaired re-absorption due to elevated venous pressure. These patients have pre-existent symptoms and signs of chronic right heart failure. High degree of suspicion is required to detect of development of an atypical form of tamponade with isolated compression of left heart chambers as shown in present case report. Transthoracic echocardiography provides a rapid access to the correct diagnosis, a prompt relief of symptoms following the ultrasound guided pericardiocentesis and important diagnostic tool for regular follow up of patients thereafter as shown in our case report.
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Marš et al. (2010) studied this question.
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