Pericarditis in malignancy natural history


 * Associate Editor-In-Chief: Varun Kumar, M.B.B.S.; Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.

Natural history, prognosis and complications
Gaurded prognosis associated with malignancies is worsened by pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. Children may have poor prognosis and thus, prompt detection and treatment of cardiac tamponade improves survival.

Patients rarely present with cardiac tamponade as their first presentation. Superior vena cava syndrome may occur in few secondary to either coexisting tumor or rapid accumulation of pericardial effusion.

Prognosis of symptomatic malignant pericardial disease is grave with a short life expectancy of 2-4 months. While the patients with hematologic or breast cancer, or those in whom malignant cells are not present in pericardium have better prognosis in comparison to those with solid tumors, lung cancer , etc.