Cardiac tamponade and constrictive pericarditis

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CARDIAC TAMPONADE AND CONSTRICTIVE PERICARDITIS

- Definition
- A few explanations
- The Symptoms
- How to make the diagnosis?
- The diagnosis of gravity
- The Causes
- Treatment
- Case of the constrictive pericarditises

DEFINITION

The heart is constituted of three tissues, which are from in-to outward the pericardium, the myocardium and the endocardium.

The “peri” cardium means a tissue localized around the heart, enveloping the heart.
This tissue looks like an envelope or a bag in which the heart is located.

A tamponade is defined as the excessive presence of liquid in the pericardium, preventing the heart from contracting normally.

A chronic pericarditis corresponds to a chronic inflammation of the pericardium, generally responsible for the occurrence of liquid or abnormal tissue in the pericardium.

These illnesses are serious because they prevent the heart from contracting and especially to fill up normally.

File last reviewed on dec 18, 2011

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