Pericarditis in malignancy pathophysiology


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

Pathophysiology
Pericardium may be involved by direct local spread from neoplasms such as breast and lung carcinomas or by metastatic spread via blood stream and lymphatics as in melanomas, lymphomas and leukemias.

Pericardial effusion in such situations may occur either secondary to pericardial inflammation or obstruction of lymphatic drainage by enlarged mediastinal nodes.