What's the most likely diagnosis?
- 50 year-old female with chest pain
- Cardiomyopathy
- Pleural effusions
- Pericardial effusion
- Mitral regurgitation
- Asbestos-related pleural disease
Answer:
3. Pericardial effusion
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Pericardial Effusion
General Considerations
- Abnormal amount of fluid in the pericardial space, defined as the space between the visceral and parietal layers of the pericardium
- Normally contains about 20-50 cc of fluid
- Fat covers outside of heart and outside of pericardium sandwiching pericardial space between the two layers
- Normal thickness of pericardium (parietal pericardium and fluid in space) is 2-4 mm
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