Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy for the treatment of large, nonmalignant pericardial effusions in children: immediate and medium-term results.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of pericardial window creation by percutaneous balloon dilation in children with recurrent, symptomatic, nonmalignant pericardial effusion, 6 boys and 4 girls, age 5-12 yr, underwent the procedure using the subxiphoid approach. The procedure was successful in 9 patients. There was one case with rupture of the balloon and entrapment of its distal part within the pericardium. During follow-up (mean 14.6 mo) there was reaccumulation of fluid only in the patient in whom rupture of the balloon had occurred. No other complications were noted. Thus, percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy appears to be a safe and effective technique for the creation of a pericardial window in children with nonmalignant pericardial effusions, and may be used as an alternative to surgical window creation.