pericarditis

pericarditis
n.
acute or chronic inflammation of the membranous sac (pericardium) surrounding the heart. Pericarditis may be seen alone or as part of pancarditis (see endomyocarditis). It has numerous causes, including virus infections, uraemia, and cancer. Acute pericarditis is characterized by fever, chest pain, and a pericardial friction rub. Fluid may accumulate within the pericardial sac (pericardial effusion). Rarely, chronic thickening of the pericardium (chronic constrictive pericarditis) develops. This interferes with activity of the heart and has many features in common with heart failure, including oedema, pleural effusions, ascites, and engorgement of the veins. Constrictive pericarditis most often results from tubercular infection.
The treatment of pericarditis is directed to the cause. Pericardial effusions may be aspirated by a needle inserted through the chest wall. Chronic constrictive pericarditis is treated by surgical removal of the pericardium (pericardiectomy).

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  • Pericarditis — Classification and external resources An ECG showing pericarditis. Note the ST elevation in multiple leads with slight reciprocal ST depression in aVR. ICD 10 I …   Wikipedia

  • Pericarditis — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Pericarditis Clasificación y recursos externos Aviso médico CIE 10 I …   Wikipedia Español

  • pericarditis — f. cardiol. Inflamación aguda o crónica del pericardio que puede ser seca o con derrame seroso, purulento o hemorrágico. La pericarditis es idiopática o secundaria a una enfermedad cardíaca o general. Las causas que pueden conducir a una… …   Diccionario médico

  • Pericarditis — vgl. Perikarditis …   Das Wörterbuch medizinischer Fachausdrücke

  • pericarditis — (n.) 1799, from PERICARDIUM (Cf. pericardium) + ITIS (Cf. itis) …   Etymology dictionary

  • pericarditis — (De pericardio e itis). f. Med. Inflamación aguda o crónica del pericardio …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • pericarditis — [per΄ə kär dīt′is] n. [see ITIS] inflammation of the pericardium …   English World dictionary

  • Pericarditis — Inflammation of the lining around the heart (the pericardium) causing chest pain and accumulation of fluid around the heart (pericardial * * * Inflammation of the pericardium. acute fibrinous p. the usual lesion of acute p. in which inflammation… …   Medical dictionary

  • Pericarditis — Klassifikation nach ICD 10 I31.9 Krankheit des Perikards, nicht näher bezeichnet …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • pericarditis — pericarditic /per i kahr dit ik/, adj. /per i kahr duy tis/, n. Pathol. inflammation of the pericardium. [1790 1800; PERICARD(IUM) + ITIS] * * * ▪ medical disorder       inflammation of the pericardium, the membranous sac that encloses the heart …   Universalium

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