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Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Pericarditis in malignancy pathophysiology

Introduction

Overview

Overview

The pericardium may be involved by direct local spread from neoplasms such as breast and lung carcinomas or by metastatic spread via blood stream and lymphatics as in melanomas, lymphomas and leukemias.

Pericardial effusion in such situations may occur either secondary to pericardial inflammation or obstruction of lymphatic drainage by enlarged mediastinal nodes.[1][2][3]

Pathophysiology

Pathophysiology

Gross Pathology

Images courtesy of Professor Peter Anderson DVM PhD and published with permission © PEIR, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pathology

  • Neoplastic pericarditis: Gross, natural color, shaggy pericarditis. Primer is adenocarcinoma of the lung.
    Neoplastic pericarditis: Gross, natural color, shaggy pericarditis. Primer is adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Microscopic Pathology

Images courtesy of Professor Peter Anderson DVM PhD and published with permission © PEIR, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pathology

  • Malignant Mesothelioma, Biphasic Type: Pericardium: This tumor has epithelioid cells (lower half) surrounded by spindled cells. The patient was a 46-year-old woman with constrictive pericarditis; the pericardium was studded with coalescing tumor nodules.
    Malignant Mesothelioma, Biphasic Type: Pericardium: This tumor has epithelioid cells (lower half) surrounded by spindled cells. The patient was a 46-year-old woman with constrictive pericarditis; the pericardium was studded with coalescing tumor nodules.
References

References

  1. ↑ Maisch B, Seferović PM, Ristić AD, Erbel R, Rienmüller R, Adler Y; et al. (2004). “Guidelines on the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases executive summary; The Task force on the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases of the European society of cardiology”. Eur Heart J. 25 (7): 587–610. doi:10.1016/j.ehj.2004.02.002. PMID 15120056.
  2. ↑ Ben-Horin S, Bank I, Guetta V, Livneh A (2006). “Large symptomatic pericardial effusion as the presentation of unrecognized cancer: a study in 173 consecutive patients undergoing pericardiocentesis”. Medicine (Baltimore). 85 (1): 49–53. doi:10.1097/01.md.0000199556.69588.8e. PMID 16523053.
  3. ↑ Imazio M, Demichelis B, Parrini I, Favro E, Beqaraj F, Cecchi E; et al. (2005). “Relation of acute pericardial disease to malignancy”. Am J Cardiol. 95 (11): 1393–4. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2005.01.094. PMID 15904655.

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Varun Kumar, M.B.B.S.; Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.