A Large Pericardial Effusion Culminating in Left Lung Collapse

Hina Amin; Bishal Gyawali; Debanik Chaudhuri

doi:10.7759/cureus.5287

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A Large Pericardial Effusion Culminating in Left Lung Collapse

Journal article

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A Large Pericardial Effusion Culminating in Left Lung Collapse

Hina Amin, Bishal Gyawali and Debanik Chaudhuri

Curēus (Palo Alto, CA), Vol.11(7), e5287

07/31/2019

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.5287

PMCID: PMC6764612

PMID: 31576276

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Abstract

Pericardial effusion is characterized by excess fluid accumulation in the pericardium. It can be asymptomatic or silent when the effusion is trivial in size or develops slowly. On the other hand, large rapidly developing effusions may present with hemodynamic instability or tamponade. In rare circumstances when a large effusion develops over a period of time, it may cause compression atelectasis of the surrounding bronchi and lung. We describe the case of a 70-year-old female who presented with acute respiratory insufficiency due to left lung collapse secondary to large pericardial effusion. To our knowledge, this is an extremely rare complication of large pericardial effusion.

General & Internal Medicine

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Medicine, General & Internal

Science & Technology

Details

Title: Subtitle: A Large Pericardial Effusion Culminating in Left Lung Collapse
Creators: Hina Amin - SUNY Upstate Medical University
Bishal Gyawali - SUNY Upstate Medical University
Debanik Chaudhuri - SUNY Upstate Medical University
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA), Vol.11(7), e5287
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.5287
PMID: 31576276
PMCID: PMC6764612
NLM abbreviation: Cureus
ISSN: 2168-8184
eISSN: 2168-8184
Publisher: Springer Nature
Number of pages: 5
Language: English
Date published: 07/31/2019
Academic Unit: Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984961024902771

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