Protocol

Anatomy module (A) including T1 and T2 weighting LV function (RV function) module (B) Consider Tumour assessment Valve assessment Real-time free-breathing cine (2 planes) LGE module (E)

Report

Pericardial thickness (normal <3mm) Presence and extent of pericardial effusion Dimensions (corrected for BSA) and function LV: EDV, ESV, SV, EF Regional wall motion abnormalities Septal wall motion during normal respiration and breath holding Presence or absence of atrial or ventricular diastolic collapse LGE in RV, LV and pericardium

Key Points

Pericardial tamponade is a clinical diagnosis Even a small and focal effusion can be haemodynamically significant Signs of tamponade: RA / LA collapse, RV / LV collapse Septal shift towards LV during inspiration Typical causes of pericardial effusion: Global: uremic, infectious, myxedema, neoplastic Regional: postoperative, trauma, purulent, cyst

Tips and Tricks

Pericardial effusion and pleural effusion are both seen as high signal in cine images, but differ on TSE sequences

References

2015 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases. ESC Clinical Practice Guidelines 2015