What is the pericardial cavity?
Pericardial cavity is an anatomical space located between the outer surface of the heart and the pericardium of the heart, which is a hard fibrous membrane that surrounds and protects the heart muscle. This cavity is usually drained and contains only a small amount of liquid. In some cases, however, excess fluid may accumulate in this space. When this accumulation of fluids occurs slowly over time, patients may not have any symptoms. If the fluid is accumulating rapidly, the increased cavity size could reduce the ability of the heart to draw blood. The pericardial cavity is considered to be potential space, which means that even if it is usually small, it has the ability to increase and accumulate a much larger volume of liquid. This can happen as a result of a number of different pathological processes in the body.
In order to evaluate whether the pericardial cavity is healthy and normal, a number of different studies can be performed. First, doctors or other healthyTnik workers are able to listen to the heart to hear if there are any unusual cardiac sounds that could mean the presence of the underlying disease. Transthoracal echocardiogram, which is a imaging modality that uses sound waves to understand the structure of the body parts below the skin surface can provide important information about the size and content of the pericardial space. If the cavity is found to be enlarged by liquid, a procedure called pericardicentsis can be performed in which the needle is inserted into the thoracic wall in an effort to withdraw part of the fluid present in the pericardial cavity.
When excess fluid is present between the heart and the pericardium, this condition is known as Pericardial Effusion. Different diseases can cause the accumulation of fluids, including infections, autoimmune diseases, cancer, kidney failure, trauma and thyroid function. The etiology of the discharge may often be determined on the basis of the results of the medical history and laboratory studies of the patient. If the reason is, PRThe discharge has developed is elusive, the sample of pericardial fluid and pericardial membrane could help clarify the cause of fluid accumulation.
rapid accumulation of fluid into the pericardial cavity can be much more dangerous because it can compress the heart and inhibit its ability to pump blood for the rest of the body. This condition is called heart tamponade. In an emergency, this condition often requires immediate decompression by opening the pericardial membrane to release some fluid and relieve the pressure on the heart.