Frequency and prognostic significance at pericardial effusion in primary pulmonary hypertension

Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance and elevated pulmonary arterial pressure, which often result in abnormalities in right-sided heart structure and function. These abnormalities include right ventricular and right atrial dilatation, decreased right ventricular contractile function, displacement of the ventricular septum, and tricuspid regurgitation.(1-5) We and others(1,5) also noted a high prevalence of pericardial effusion in patients with PPH. In this article, we report the relations of pericardial effusion size to hemodynamics, right-sided heart structure and function, exercise capacity, and survival in patients with severely symptomatic PPH.