Bruning Roland, Muehlstaedt Michael, Becker Christoph, Knez Andreas, Haberl Ralph, Reiser Maximilian
Institute for Clinical Radiology, University Hospital of Munich Marchioninistr, Munich-Grosshadern, Germany.
Invest Radiol. 2002 Jun;37(6):328-32. doi: 10.1097/00004424-200206000-00004.
The purpose of the study was to evaluate feasibility and safety of CT-fluoroscopy in the drainage of pericardial effusion in cases not accessible by sonography.
Eleven drainages were performed in Seldinger-technique under CT-fluoroscopy on eight patients suffering from pericardial effusion. The inclusion criterion was a sonographically proved pericardial effusion not drainable under sonographic surveillance. In seven procedures the catheter was positioned using a medial, in four procedures a lateral approach from the apex was chosen.
All catheters could be placed successfully (11/11) in the pericardial effusion and allowed for draining of the effusion in 10 of 11 cases. One epicardial laceration necessitated a surgical approach. The elapsed total procedure time for the drainage was on average 18:23 +/- 8:58 minutes.
Visual surveillance by CT-fluoroscopy is a feasible method in the drainage of pericardial effusions even in cases not accessible by ultrasound.
