Pericardial effusion and impaired diastolic cardiac function as a result of a giant colonic diverticulum

Abstract

This case report describes a Giant Colonic Diverticulum (GCD) found in association with a significant pericardial effusion and impaired cardiac function. A 63-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department with bilateral leg edema, mild dyspnea, and diarrhea. An echocardiogram demonstrated a large pericardial effusion and abnormal diastolic cardiac function. Abdominal imaging studies identified a 29 cm x 18 cm x 13 cm gas filled structure in the left upper quadrant concerning for GCD causing significant compression of the left lung and heart. Following surgical resection, the pericardial effusion resolved, cardiac function normalized, and the patient’s leg swelling improved. This is the first case report to record an association between GCD and pericardial effusion with impaired diastolic cardiac function.