Pericardial Disease - Fibrinous Pericardial Effusion
Caption
A young male presented with a 5-month history of signs and symptoms of heart failure. Apical four chamber view pictured here revealed a large pericardial effusion, most significant for the presence of fibrinous stranding. Fibrinous pericardial effusions are most commonly related to tuberculosis (worldwide) whereas malignancy and inflammatory/infectious processes are alternate possible etiologies. PCR of pericardial fluid went on to confirm Mycobacterium tuberculosis in this patient. Note: depth of this image was intentionally used to augment the view of the apex and presence of fibrinous strands. Gordon Johnson, @pdxfutebol Portland, Oregon