Pericarditis, also called pericardial disease is inflammation
of any layers of the pericardium, which is a thin tissue sac that surrounds the
ticker and consists of visceral pericardium (an inner layer that envelopes the
entire ticker), a middle fluid layer to prevent friction between the visceral
pericardium and parietal pericardium, and parietal pericardium (an outer layer
made of fibrous tissue).
Pericarditis
Causes:
Infections, heart surgery, heart attack, trauma, tumors,
cancer, radiation, autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis- are
some of the causes of pericarditis. No cause can be found for some people.
Pericarditis can be chronic (long-standing) or acute (occurring suddenly).
Symptoms:
When present, pericarditis symptoms may include increased
heart rate, low-grade fever and chest pain (the pain is frequently sharp and
located in the center of the chest, and may radiate to the neck and shoulders,
and occasionally, the arms and back).
Diagnosis:
Your healthcare provider can diagnose pericarditis based on
physical exam, cardiac MRI, electrocardiogram results, echocardiogram, reported
symptoms. Other tests may also be performed to determine the cause.
Treatment
For Pericarditis:
Treatment is based on the cause and may include antibiotics
(if pericarditis is due to infection), steroids (used occasionally for severe
attacks), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents to decrease inflammation and
pain and colchicine (especially if symptoms last for several weeks or occur on
a repetitive basis). It should be noted that most patients recover from
pericarditis in two to four weeks.
Constrictive
Pericarditis- It occurs when the pericardium becomes thickened and
scarred, which can make it difficult for the ticker to expand with blood. The
symptoms are the same as pericarditis with the addition of shortness of breath,
fatigue, atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), heart failure (HF) symptoms
such as swelling of legs and feet, unexplained weight gain.
Diagnosis
And Treatment Of Constrictive Pericarditis:
The same tests used to diagnose pericarditis are used to
diagnose this. Echocardiogram, cardiac catheterization, MRI, CT scan- are other
diagnostic tests used for constrictive pericarditis.
Treatment may include Pericardiectomy
(the surgical removal of the stiff pericardium from the heart); diuretics to treat HF symptoms; antiarrhythmics to treat any abnormal
heart rhythms like AFib; analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents to treat pain
or inflammation.
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