Acupuncture-related hemopericardium is a rare but potentially fatal complication. We describe a hemopericardium that occurred shortly after acupuncture in a 55-year-old woman. A chest CT scan and echocardiography revealed a hemopericardium, and pericardiocentesis was then immediately and successfully performed. Subsequently, her clinical course improved. This case increases the attention of emergency physicians for acupuncture-related complications, especially hemopericardium, and the necessity of rapid diagnosis and management.
Acupuncture Therapy/*adverse effects ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pericardial Effusion/*diagnosis/*etiology/surgery ; Pericardiocentesis

Acupuncture-related hemopericardium is a rare but potentially fatal complication. We describe a hemopericardium that occurred shortly after acupuncture in a 55-year-old woman. A chest CT scan and echocardiography revealed a hemopericardium, and pericardiocentesis was then immediately and successfully performed. Subsequently, her clinical course improved. This case increases the attention of emergency physicians for acupuncture-related complications, especially hemopericardium, and the necessity of rapid diagnosis and management.
Acupuncture Therapy/*adverse effects ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pericardial Effusion/*diagnosis/*etiology/surgery ; Pericardiocentesis

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Pericardial Effusion ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy

We report a case of 62-year-old man with cardiac tamponade due to coronary artery injury after acupuncture into the substernum. After resuscitation of cardiac arrest, we performed emergent pericardiocentesis. Nevertheless, the cardiac arrest recurred, and the emergent operation on cardiopulmonary bypass was performed. We identified hemopericardium due to shredded acute marginal branch of right coronary artery, and it was ligated leading to termination of bleeding. The patient was discharged without any other complications.
Acupuncture Therapy/*adverse effects ; Cardiac Tamponade/*diagnosis/etiology ; Coronary Vessels/*injuries ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pericardial Effusion/*diagnosis/etiology

Pericarditis is a rare manifestation of tuberculosis (Tb) in children. A 14-yr-old Korean boy presented with cardiac tamponade during treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. He developed worsening anemia and persistent fever in spite of anti-tuberculosis medications. Echocardiography found free floating multiple discoid masses in the pericardial effusion. The masses and exudates were removed by pericardiostomy. The masses were composed of pink, amorphous meshwork of threads admixed with degenerated red blood cells and leukocytes with numerous acid-fast bacilli, which were confirmed as Mycobacterium species by polymerase chain reaction. The persistent fever and anemia were controlled after pericardiostomy. This is the report of a unique manifestation of Tb pericarditis as free floating masses in the effusion with impending tamponade.
Adolescent ; Cardiac Tamponade/etiology ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Male ; Pericardial Effusion/*diagnosis/etiology/surgery/ultrasonography ; Pericardiectomy ; Pericarditis, Tuberculous/complications/*diagnosis/ultrasonography

Epicardial fat may anteriorly produce an echo-free space that can be mistaken for pericardial fluid. We recently experienced a 67-year-old woman with prominent epicardial fat which was presented as an echogenic tumor-like mass. She underwent open pericardiostomy to relieve large amount of pericardial effusion. Operative findings revealed only prominent epicardial fat. Biopsy of the pericardial and fat tissues revealed an inflammation and normal fat cells without any malignant cell infiltration.
Adipose Tissue/ultrasonography* ; Adipose Tissue/radiography ; Adipose Tissue/pathology ; Aged ; Biopsy ; Case Report ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Neoplasms/diagnosis ; Human ; Pericardial Effusion/etiology ; Pericardial Effusion/diagnosis ; Pericardium/ultrasonography* ; Pericardium/radiography ; Pericardium/pathology

OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical characteristics and diagnosis of 2 cases with chylothorax due to primary lymphatic dysplasia and to elevate pediatrician's recognition level for this disease.

METHODClinical manifestations of the children were retrospectively analyzed. Primary lymphatic dysplasia was diagnosed by lymphoscintigraphy.

RESULTThe first patient was a male aged 2-year-7-month who presented with a history of tachypnea for 43 days, fever and sore throat for 5 days at the early stage of the illness. He had a history of external injury before his illness. Physical examination showed his left chest bulging and left side diminished breath sound. His pleural effusion showed dark red (It was divided into two layers after standing, the upper layer turned into milky white, and the lower turned into hemorrhagic liquid) . White blood cell (WBC) count was 9 000×10(6)/L, mononuclear cell was 0.9, polykaryocytes was 0.1, triglyceride was 12.37 mmol/L in the pleural effusion. Contrast-enhanced lung CT (revascularization) showed pericardial effusion and a massive left sided pleural effusion. The second patient was a male aged 9 years and 6 months, who presented with a history of cough for 24 days, intermittent fever, vomiting, abdominal pain for 19 days, and edema of lower limbs for 4 days. Physical examination showed edema in both eyelids, lower extremities and scrotum. The level of albumin was 14 g/L and the titer of Mycoplasma pneumoniae IgM was 1: 320 in the serum. His hydrothorax pleural effusion showed milk white. White blood cell (WBC) count was 74×10(6)/L, mononuclear cell was 0.78, polykaryocytes was 0.22, triglyceride was 1.01 mmol/L in the pleural effusion. Chyle test showed positive in his pleural effusion and seroperitoneum. High-resolution CT of the lung revealed bilateral interstitial and parenchymal infiltration and both sided pleural effusion. Abdominal ultrasound showed giant hypertrophy of the gastric mucosa and massive ascites. Gastroscopy showed giant hypertrophy of the gastric mucosa. Lymphoscintigraphy revealed primary lymphatic dysplasia in both children.

CONCLUSIONPrimary lymphatic dysplasia might occur in children and result in dropsy of serous cavity (chylothorax, chylopericardium, chylous ascites). Dropsy of serous cavity showed bloody or milk white. WBC count might elevate with lymphocyte increasing mostly, triglyceride was often higher than 1.0 mmol/L in dropsy of serous cavity. Primary lymphatic dysplasia can be diagnosed by lymphoscintigraphy.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chylothorax ; diagnosis ; etiology ; pathology ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Lymphatic Abnormalities ; complications ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Lymphoscintigraphy ; Male ; Pericardial Effusion ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Pleural Effusion ; diagnosis ; etiology ; pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The causes of low voltage complexes on the electrocardiogram (ECG) are variable; however, they are not commonly discussed. An ECG with small QRS amplitudes may initially look unremarkable to the unwary, but some of the underlying conditions may be critical. Although imperfect, the ECG is still a useful, noninvasive and readily available tool for the screening of these underlying conditions. We present two cases with low voltage complexes in the ECG. The first case highlights how the findings on ECG and subsequent echocardiogram led to the diagnosis of a rare case of cardiac amyloidosis. In the second case, a screening electrocardiogram alerted the physicians to a life-threatening condition, that of a large pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade.
Aged ; Cardiac Tamponade ; diagnosis ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Conduction System ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pericardial Effusion ; diagnosis ; physiopathology

INTRODUCTIONThere are various aetiologies for recurrent pericardial effusions. Malignancy is the commonest cause in the West, but in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, tuberculosis is common and contributes towards a high prevalence of tuberculous recurrent pericardial effusions.

METHODSIn our hospital-based descriptive study of 32 patients, we looked into various characteristics of recurrent pericardial effusions using the hospital data.

RESULTSWe found tuberculosis to be the commonest cause of recurrent effusions, occurring in 50 percent (n = 16) of our patients, followed by malignancy (n = 9). The clinical features at presentation in patients who eventually developed recurrent pericardial effusions were more severe, compared to uncomplicated pericardial effusions.

CONCLUSIONKnowledge of the presenting features of patients with recurrent pericardial effusions is crucial, so that they can be placed under increased surveillance and considered for early institution of pericardial fluid drainage procedures.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms ; complications ; Pericardial Effusion ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Recurrence ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; complications

No abstract available.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Cardiac Tamponade/etiology ; Drainage ; Empyema, Pleural/diagnosis/*etiology/microbiology/therapy ; Heart Diseases/diagnosis/*etiology/microbiology/therapy ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/*therapy ; Male ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purification ; Middle Aged ; Pericardial Effusion/etiology ; Pericardial Window Techniques ; Pericardiocentesis ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory/*adverse effects ; Peritonitis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*etiology/microbiology ; Pleural Effusion/etiology ; Staphylococcal Infections/diagnosis/drug therapy/*etiology/microbiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome