Characteristics of recurrent pericardial effusions

Introduction: There are various aetiologies for recurrent pericardial effusions. Malignancy is the commonest cause in the West, but in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, tuberculosis is common and contributes towards a high prevalence of tuberculous re current pericardial effusions. Methods: In our hospital-based descriptive study of 32 patients, we looked into various characteristics of recurrent pericardial ef fusions using the hospital data. Results: We found tuberculosis to be the commonest cause of recurrent effusions, occurring in 50 percent (n = 16) of our patients, followed by malignancy (n = 9). The clinical features at presentation in patients who eventually developed recurrent pericardial effusions were more severe, compared to uncomplicated pericardial effusions. Conclusion: Knowledge of the presenting features of patients with recurrent pericardial effusions is crucial, so that they can be placed under increased surveillance and considered for early institution of pericardial fluid drainage procedures.