[Echocardiographic detection of asymptomatic pericardial effusion during normal pregnancy].

A series of 123 healthy pregnant women (average age: 28 years) was studied by M mode and 2D echocardiography to evaluate the hemodynamic changes due to pregnancy. Latent and asymptomatic pericardial effusion was detected in 19 of the 46 patients in the last stages of pregnancy (32nd to 38th week). The effusion was slight in 13 cases, moderate in 4 cases and voluminous in 2 cases. This was a transient finding, occurring at the end of pregnancy (never before the 32nd week) and regressing totally in the two months post partum. The pregnancy ran its natural course in all 19 patients. None had any specific past medical history or clinical signs of toxemia. Cardiovascular examination was normal in all cases with no signs of pericardial friction rub or of heart failure. However, the blood pressure was raised in 3 of the 19 patients. The ECG was normal in 16 of the 19 cases; non-specific ST-T wave changes were observed in 3 cases. Pericardial effusion was probably related to salt and water retention which often occurs at the end of pregnancy: at this stage the average weight gain was significantly higher (p less than 0,03) in the 19 patients with pericardial effusion than in the 27 patients without (13,6 +/- 4,3 kg compared to 10,9 +/- 3,7 kg). Therefore, pericardial effusion of variable volume but always asymptomatic and latent was observed in 40,1 p. 100 of patients at the end of pregnancy on echocardiographic examination. This previously undocumented finding requires further study to determine the underlying physiopathological mechanism and its exact significance.