New scoring system using tumor markers in diagnosing patients with moderate pericardial effusions

We performed diagnostic and therapeutic pericardiostomy with drainage and biopsy in 51 patients with moderate to large pericardial effusions of different etiologies from August 1991 to July 1995. Patients were divided into 4 groups (group 1, tuberculous pericarditis; group 2, suspected tuberculous pericarditis; group 3, acute pericarditis; group 4, malignancy). The pericardial fluid adenosine deaminase level in tuberculosis (87+/-10 U/l) was significantly higher than that in malignancy or acute pericarditis (21+/-4 U/l, 23+/-7 U/l, respectively) (P=0.0001). The mean pericardial fluid carcinoembryonic antigen level (1.8+/-0.3 ng/ml) in benign disease was significantly lower than that (170.7+/-46.4 ng/ml) in malignant disease (P=0,0001). Follow-up study has been done. With a new scoring system (each score 1 for adenosine deaminase greater than or equal to 40 U/l, or carcinoembryonic antigen less than or equal to 5 ng/ml) in 25 patients since November 1993, we could diagnose 5 among 7 patients (71%) with tuberculosis, 11 among 13 patients (85%) with malignancy (adenosine deaminase less than or equal to 40 U/l, or carcinoembryonic antigen greater than or equal to 5 ng/ml) and 5 among 5 patients (100%) with acute pericarditis (adenosine deaminase less than or equal to 40 U/l, or carcinoembryonic antigen less than or equal to 5 ng/ml), respectively. Our long-term follow-up study suggests that with the new scoring system we can decrease complications or avoid unnecessary procedures or treatments of patients. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.