pericardial effusion
Meaning of pericardial effusion: A pericardial effusion is excess fluid within the sac around the heart, which can impair the heart's ability to fill and pump normally.
Definition of pericardial effusion
A pericardial effusion is an abnormal buildup of fluid within the pericardium, the double layered sac that surrounds the heart. A small amount of fluid is normally present between the two layers of the pericardium, cushioning the heart and reducing friction as it beats, but this amount can increase due to infection, inflammation, injury, certain cancers, or other underlying conditions.
A small pericardial effusion often causes no symptoms and may be found incidentally on imaging performed for another reason. A larger effusion, or one that accumulates quickly, can compress the heart and limit how well its chambers fill between beats, a serious complication called cardiac tamponade.
Because the pericardium is a relatively fixed, non stretching sac, the rate at which fluid accumulates matters as much as the total amount present, and evaluation of a pericardial effusion typically includes identifying the underlying cause along with assessing whether the fluid is affecting the heart's pumping function.
Used in a sentence
Echocardiography revealed a moderate pericardial effusion that was monitored with serial imaging.
Good to know
A pericardial effusion that accumulates slowly can reach a substantial volume with few symptoms, while a much smaller effusion that develops rapidly can cause cardiac tamponade, so the rate of accumulation matters as much as the total amount of fluid present.
Word origin
Where “pericardial effusion” comes from
Formed from Greek peri-, meaning around, and kardia, meaning heart, describing the sac that surrounds it, combined with effusion, from Latin effundere, meaning to pour out.