THREE CASES OF PERICARDIAL CYSTS

Abstract

Pericardial cysts are relatively rare. Three cases of pericardial cyts are presented in this paper. A 63-year-old man (Case 1) was pointed out an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray film at another _??_ospital. A 58-year-old woman (Case 2) was pointed out an abnormal shadow on X-ray examination at a _??_edical checkup. A 48-year-old woman was also pointed out an abnormal shadow on a X-ray film at a _??_edical checkup. These three asymptomatic patients were admitted to the hospital for further examina_??_on. Chest X-ray revealed a large smooth mass in the right cardio-phrenic angle in case 1 and 3, and in _??_e right upper mediastinum in case 2. Chest CT demonstrated a homogenous cystic mass adjacent to _??_ight heart border in case 1, 2 and 3. Surgical extirpation was carried out in all cases. These was a _??_ommunication between the cyst and pericardial cavity in case 2 and 3, and no communication in case 1. Histologically, all cases are very similar to normal pericardium having thin wall with flat mesoth_??_lium. fibrous, fatty connective tissue with no evidence of malignancy. Although pericardial cysts are _??_ncommon benign abnormalities, we consider that the surgical attack on the pericardial cyst must be _??_arried out as early as possible, because of latent malignant change, compression and rupture to near _??_rgans.