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A Pericardial Effusion is the presence of excessive pericardial fluid. While small effusions occur in many clinical scenarios and are not necessarily dangerous, large and rapidly accumulating effusions may case Cardiac Tamponade , a life-threatening complication.

Ben-Horin ''et al'' (2005) studied the composition of pericardial fluid in patients undergoing Open Heart Surgery . They found it was relatively rich in Lactate Dehydrogenase , low in Protein and high in Lymphocyte s and Monocyte s. They state that these findings may alter diagnostic criteria for abnormal effusions.


REFERENCE

  • Ben-Horin S, Shinfeld A, Kachel E, Chetrit A, Livneh A. The composition of normal pericardial fluid and its implications for diagnosing pericardial effusions. ''Am J Med'' 2005;118:636-40. PMID 15922695.