Tohru KANAYA¹, Tsukio NAGAO¹, Misako TAKAHASHI², Tsunehiro TAKAHASHI², Tsuneo SATAKE²

¹Tohoku Central Hospital of Japan Mutual Aid Association of Public School Teachers, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, ²Tohoku Central Hospital of Japan Mutual Aid Association of Public School Teachers, Department of Clinical Laboratory

キーワード : Pericardiocentesis, Apical approach method, Pericardial effusion, Malignant tumors, Two-dimensional echocardiography

The apical approach in pericardiocentesis assisted by two-dimensional echocardiography was performed in four patients with malignant effusion, three with lung cancer, one with malignant thymoma. Ten consecutive pericardial taps had been performed, but no complications occurred. This approach has several advantages, including visualization of the fluid-filled sac, determination of its location and identification of structures between the body surface and the pericardial sac. Our experience has shown that because of the short distance from body surface to pericardial sac, safe and easy method can be used by physician conversant in two-dimensional echocardiography.