Recurrent Pericardial Effusion after Nonpenetrating Chest Trauma

Abstract

CARDIAC tamponade after nonpenetrating trauma to the chest may be caused by hemorrhage immediately after the injury, or by constrictive pericarditis after a variable time.1 It has not been widely recognized that recurrent cardiac tamponade may also be caused by pericardial effusion several weeks or months after the original trauma.The present report is intended to delineate the characteristics of the syndrome of pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade after blunt chest trauma in 2 patients, to describe the use of steroids in the treatment of this disorder and to point out certain similarities of this disease to more familiar syndromes, . . .