Pericardial Disease

One of the most time-consuming tasks in clinical medicine is seeking the opinions of specialist colleagues. There is a pressure not only to make referrals appropriate but also to summarize the case in the language of the specialist. This book explains basic physiologic and pathophysiologic mechanisms of cardiovascular disease in a straightforward manner, gives guidelines as to when referral is appropriate, and, uniquely, explains what the specialist is likely to do. It is ideal for any hospital doctor, generalist, or even senior medical student who may need a cardiology opinion, or for that ma.

In November 1986, I was invited to attend a symposium held in Barcelona on Diseases of the Pericardium. The course was directed by Dr. J. Soler-Soler, director of Cardiology at Hospital General Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona. During my brief but delightful visit to this institution, my appreciation of the depth and breadth of study into pericardial diseases, carried out by Dr. Soler and his group, grew into the conviction that these clinical investigators have accumulated a wealth of information concerning pericardial diseases, and that investigators and clinicians practicing in English speaking countries would greatly profit from ready access to the results of the clinical investiga tions into pericardial disease carried out in Barcelona. The proceedings of the Barcelona conference were published in a beauti fully executed volume in the Spanish language edited by Dr. Soler and pro duced by Ediciones Doyma. Because I believe that this work should be brought to the attention of the English speaking scientific and clinical com munities, I encouraged Dr. Soler to have the book translated into English. I knew that this task could be accomplished and that the book would be trans lated into good English without change of its content. My confidence was based upon a translation of my own book, The Pericardium, into Spanish undertaken by Dr. Permanyer, who is a contributor and co-editor of the pre sent volume.

​This book reviews current knowledge and recent advances in the diagnosis and management of myopericardial diseases, a spectrum of medical diseases and syndromes affecting a significant proportion of patients in clinical practice and presenting either as an isolated process or as a manifestation of a systemic disease. Unlike in other books, both pericardial and myocardial diseases are fully covered. Detailed guidance is provided on diagnosis and the role of integrated cardiovascular imaging, medical therapy, interventional diagnosis and therapy, and surgical diagnosis and therapy. Importantly, up-to-date original information is presented on indications and guidelines/recommendations planned for publication in 2015. This well-illustrated book will be an invaluable aid to diagnosis and management for practitioners in a range of medical specialties, including cardiology, internal medicine, rheumatology, family medicine, cardiac surgery, nephrology, and endocrinology.

Pericardial disease is a broad term that describes a wide range of pathologies. The clinical aspects of pericardial disease encompass acute pericarditis, pericardial tamponade, pericardial effusion, constrictive pericarditis, and effusive-constrictive pericarditis. Those disorders differ not only in clinical presentation but also in the timeline of disease development; for example, pericardial tamponade is commonly an acute, life-threatening event, whereas constrictive pericarditis is a chronic process developing over months to years. Therefore, pericardial disease management is challenging for most clinicians. The evidence base in the field is relatively scarce compared with other disease entities in cardiology. European Society of Cardiology released guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases. Currently there are no guidelines from American cardiology societies to help clinicians in dealing with pericardial disease. In this book, my goal is to provide extensive review of pericardial disease evaluation and management. A unified, stepwise pathway-based approach for the management of pericardial disease is provided at the end of the book.

Many noteworthy advances in our knowledge of the pericardium, its functions and diseases and their relation to heart failure have been made since the first edition of this book appeared in 1981; and no other book that covers in detail the physiology and pathophysiology has since been published. The first edition was favourably received, and I have frequently been asked to write a new edition. My own knowledge in the years that have passed since then, and my clinical and research experience in the field of the subject have both increased. For all these reasons, I decided that the second edition was overdue. The long time that has elapsed between editions necessitated rewriting, rather than simply revising, most of the text. For the same reason, many of the figures are new. Most of the references I have cited appeared in the literature after 1981, but I have retained a number of earlier ones, either because they are classics or, in my opinion, have not yet been bettered. It is my hope that the new edition will be a useful resource for clinicians called upon to manage patients with pericardial disease and for physiologists when the pericardium is relevant to their investigations. I make no apology for the in-depth treatment of the pericardial physiology and pathophysiology throughout the book, for they are the foundation on which diagnosis, hemodynamic and imaging studies, and management must rest.

This book serves as a pocket-sized resource to aid with the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease in the inpatient setting. Containing up-to-date information from guidelines and clinical trials, this book is the only handbook-style reference on cardiac care designed specifically for the hospitalist. The first section of the book covers cardiac pathology with an emphasis on evidence-based and guideline-based approaches to patient care. Each chapter focuses on a specific cardiovascular disease state such as acute coronary syndrome, atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension, and aortic disease. The second section examines the differential diagnoses and recommended workup for common cardiac chief complaints including chest pain, palpitations, syncope, and dyspnea. The third and final section discusses indications and interpretation of commonly used cardiac procedures and imaging modalities. This book provides a concise review over a broad range of cardiovascular disease states in an accessible handbook-style to aid with the care of these patients. The Handbook of Inpatient Cardiology is an essential resource for physician hospitalists caring for cardiac patients on the medical ward in addition to cardiology physicians and trainees, affiliate providers, and students.

This up-to-date textbook comprehensively reviews all aspects of cardiac CT and MRI and demonstrates the value of these techniques in clinical practice. A wide range of applications are considered, including imaging of atherosclerotic and non-atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, coronary revascularization, ischemic heart disease, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, cardiac tumors, and pericardial disease. The numerous high-quality images illustrate how to interpret cardiac CT and MRI correctly for the purposes of diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow-up. Helpful summarizing sections in every chapter will facilitate rapid retrieval of information. This book will be of great value to radiologists and cardiologists seeking a reliable guide to the optimal use of cardiac CT and MRI in real clinical situations.​ An additional feature is the provision of QR codes allowing internet access to references, further figures, and motion pictures. The reader will be able to enjoy this book using a smartphone or tablet PC.