2018•Oxford University Press eBooksRequires access
Pericardial disease
David Adlam
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Abstract
The pericardium forms a continuous sac around the heart, analogous to the pleura surrounding the lungs, and the peritoneum surrounding the abdominal viscera. Between the parietal and visceral layers of the serous pericardium is the pericardial space, which normally contains a small volume of pericardial fluid. The clinical spectrum of pericardial diseases can be divided into: pericarditis, caused by acute inflammation; pericardial effusion, or fluid accumulation in the pericardial space, leading to tamponade; and constrictive pericarditis, caused by chronic infiltration or inflammation leading to pericardial constriction.