[Diagnosis of pericardial cysts: significance of cardiac magnetic resonance and literature review]

Acta Chir Iugosl. 2007;54(3):53-7. doi: 10.2298/aci0703053m.
[Article in Serbian]

Abstract

Pericardial cysts are uncommon and caused by an incomplete coalescence of fetal lacunae forming the pericardium. The paper presents two cases of pericardial cyst and literature review. The first is a case of a female patient with progressive dispnoa and spherical mass located in the right cardiophrenic angle on a chest x-ray. A pericardial cyst with low signal intensity was noted on T1w, high signal intensity on T2w in TSE (turbo spin echo) sequence on magnetic resonance images (MRI) which was suggestive of serous content. The patient underwent pericardial puncture and was thereafter free of symptoms. Histologic study of the cyst confirmed hydatid cyst diagnosis. Another patient is with echocardiographic evidence of cystic formation which was confirmed on MRI, with high signal intensity on SSFP (steady state free precession) sequence. The cyst was without septa and without communication with pericardial space. Since there were no significant hemodynamic changes, the patient is on regular follow up.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Mediastinal Cyst / diagnosis*
  • Middle Aged