Left ventricular pseudohypertrophy in pericardial effusion as a sign of cardiac tamponade

Abstract

There is probably not one single pathologic condition that has been studied by echocardiography as extensively as pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. Among the many reported echocardiographic signs of cardiac tamponade, the most frequent and diagnostically useful are the following: right ventricular and right atrial diastolic collapse 1,2; a “swinging heart” 3; and phasic respiratory changes of ventricular dimensions. 4 This report describes a new echocardiographic sign, typical for pericardial effusion and tamponade, namely a transient thickening of left ventricular (LV) wall associated with cardiac tamponade.