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Current Cardiology Reports
Published in: Current Cardiology Reports 9/2021

01-09-2021 | Metastasis | Pericardial Disease (L Klein and CL Jellis, Section Editors)

A Clinico-Pathologic Approach to the Differential Diagnosis of Pericardial Tumors

Authors: Alison R. Krywanczyk, Carmela D. Tan, E. Rene Rodriguez

Published in: Current Cardiology Reports | Issue 9/2021

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Tumors of the pericardium are rare, but a wide variety of congenital, infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic processes have been reported. Pericardial tumors can be categorized as non-neoplastic or neoplastic. Neoplastic lesions can be further divided into benign or malignant, with malignancies being either primary or secondary (metastatic). Clinical, radiographic, and pathologic features of the most common entities are discussed.

Recent Findings

Metastatic neoplasms involving the heart and pericardium are far more common than primary pericardial neoplasms. Of primary pericardial malignancies, mesothelioma is the most common; notably, cytology of effusion fluid is relatively insensitive to the diagnosis. The prognosis for most malignancies of the pericardium, primary or secondary, is poor. Increasingly, clinically recognized diseases that involve the pericardium include Erdheim-Chester and IgG4-related disease.

Summary

This article provides a comprehensive review of the most recent literature to develop a structured framework to the differential diagnosis of pericardial tumors.
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Metadata
Title
A Clinico-Pathologic Approach to the Differential Diagnosis of Pericardial Tumors
Authors
Alison R. Krywanczyk
Carmela D. Tan
E. Rene Rodriguez
Publication date
01-09-2021
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Cardiology Reports / Issue 9/2021
Print ISSN: 1523-3782
Electronic ISSN: 1534-3170
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-021-01548-6

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