Pericardial effusion associated with asbestos exposure

Our plain-English summary of Pericardial effusion associated with asbestos exposure, by S. Trogrlic, P.A. Gevenois, M. Schroeven, et al (Thorax, 1997).

The study

• Authors: S. Trogrlic, P.A. Gevenois, M. Schroeven, P. De Vuyst
• Journal: Thorax
• Published: 1997;52(12):1097-8
• Type of article: Case report
• Cited by: 4 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

The case history is presented of a 60 year old man who developed a pericardial effusion. Chest radiography showed pleural thickening and calcification. Pericardiotomy was performed and revealed nonspecific inflammatory lesions. Occupational exposure to asbestos and exclusion of other causes led to the diagnosis of benign asbestos pericardial effusion.

In plain English

This was a case report of one 60-year-old man, from hospital departments in Brussels, Belgium, who developed fluid around the heart (pericardial effusion). The patient had been intensively exposed to asbestos for one year in 1963, handling sacks containing asbestos in an insulation company. About 10 years later, the patient had several episodes of bloody fluid around both lungs (bilateral pleural effusion) without malignant cells. This was diagnosed as benign asbestos pleural effusion, and diffuse thickening of the pleura on both sides followed. At the current admission, for precordial pain and shortness of breath, 500 ml of bloody fluid was drawn from around the heart. Pericardial biopsy specimens showed a non-specific inflammatory reaction. Blood culture and a tuberculin skin test were negative. The delay between exposure and the pericardial effusion was approximately 30 years. The effusion did not recur during two years of follow-up. Based on the asbestos exposure and the exclusion of other causes, the authors diagnosed benign asbestos pericardial effusion. They concluded that asbestos exposure should be included among the possible causes of acute pericardial effusion and of constrictive pericarditis.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: case report (one patient)
• Who was studied: One 60-year-old man admitted to hospital (departments of Radiology and Chest Medicine, Hôpital Erasme, Brussels, Belgium); article received in 1996
• Exposure: Intensive occupational asbestos exposure for one year in 1963, handling sacks containing asbestos in an insulation company; fiber type not stated
• Main results:
  • About 10 years after exposure the patient had several episodes of bilateral pleural effusion. The fluid was a bloody exudate without malignant cells, and bronchoalveolar lavage showed 28 asbestos bodies/ml; benign asbestos pleural effusion was diagnosed.
  • At the present admission, chest radiography showed bilateral diffuse pleural thickening. Computed tomography showed rounded atelectasis in the right lower lobe and pericardial thickening.
  • Pericardial effusion was confirmed by a puncture collecting 500 ml of bloody fluid
  • Pericardial biopsy specimens showed a non-specific inflammatory reaction
  • Blood tests showed an increased sedimentation rate (52 mm/h) and increased C reactive protein (7.8 mg/100 ml); blood culture and tuberculin skin test were negative
  • The delay between asbestos exposure and the pericardial effusion was approximately 30 years
  • No recurrence of the pericardial effusion during two years of follow-up, and no signs of developing constrictive pericarditis on echocardiography
• The authors' conclusion: The authors diagnosed benign asbestos pericardial effusion on the basis of occupational asbestos exposure and exclusion of other causes. They concluded that asbestos exposure should be included among the possible causes of acute pericardial effusion as well as of constrictive pericarditis.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Pericardial Effusion, Asbestos Exposure, Pleural Thickening, Occupational Exposure.

Related studies

• Pericardial mesothelioma masquerading as a benign pericardial effusion — N.L. Coplan, A.J. Kennish, et al. (1984)
• Tetracycline sclerosis in the management of malignant pericardial effusion — F.A. Shepherd, J.S. Ginsberg, et al. (1985)
• Asbestos induced pericardial effusion and constrictive pericarditis — D. Davies, M.I. Andrews, et al. (1991)
• Recurrent pericardial effusion with pericardial amyloid deposition: a case report and literature review — H. Itagaki, T. Yamamoto, et al. (2020)
• Recurrence of Pericardial Mesothelioma Affecting the Myocardium After Pericardial Resection — M. Rodríguez, H.R. Mallidi, et al. (2018)
• Ancillary studies in pleural, pericardial, and peritoneal effusion cytology — K.E. Sundling, E.S. Cibas (2018)

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