Objective: To study the clinical characteristics and the management of malignant tumors of genital organs with pericardial effusion.
Methods: Nine cases of gynecologic malignant tumors with pericardial effusion were analyzed retrospectively.
Results: Nine cases of gynecologic malignant tumors were separated into 4 cases of epithelial ovarian carcinoma, 2 cases of diffuse ovarian granulosa cell tumor, 2 cases of cervix carcinoma and 1 case of endometrial carcinoma. The mean age was 41.6 years, the intervals from primary tumors to pericardial effusions were 2-49 months. The clinical symptoms were mainly severe shortness of breath. Nine cases were diagnosed by chest X-rays, 6 of them were confirmed by B ultrasonography simultaneously. Three cases were given pericardiocentesis and their cytologic examinations were positive. Two cases of ovarian malignant tumors have been surviving for 49 and 12 months respectively after pericardiocentesis with local chemotherapy and effective systemic chemotherapy, 1 case was survived for 5 months by hormone therapy, but 6 untreated cases were died of cardiac tamponade within one month.
Conclusions: Malignant tumors of genital organs with pericardial effusion could be definitely diagnosed by X-ray, B ultrasonography and cytology. The surviving period may be prolonged by pericardio centesis combined with systemic effective chemotherapy.