Percutaneous pericardio-peritoneal shunt (PPP)--a novel palliative treatment for recurrent cardiac tamponade.

The management of pericardial effusion with recurrent cardiac tamponade in disseminated malignancy is a therapeutic challenge. Treatment options include repeated aspirations, balloon pericardiostomy and surgical pericardial window with variable success at symptom palliation. We describe a safe and novel percutaneous technique of pericardio-peritoneal shunt for palliative treatment of malignancy associated massive pericardial effusion ina patient who declined surgery and had refractory pericardial effusion despite repeated pericardiocentesis, chemical pericardiodesis and balloon pericardiostom