| [ Summary ] |
Uremic pericarditis is an infrequent but serious complication in patients with chronic kidney disease. The major clinical symptoms are chest pain, dyspnea and dialysis hypotension. The most fatal complication, cardiac tamponade, is very rare but should be kept in mind. Although the cause of uremic pericarditis remains uncertain, the accumulation of uremic toxins may play an important role in the pathogenesis of this condition. Regarding the diagnosis of pericarditis, pericardial effusion is identified by echocardiogram. The diagnosis of uremic pericarditis should be made by the exclusion of other disorders which may cause pericarditis. Therapeutic interventions for uremic pericarditis include intensive dialysis, improvement of nutrition and / or anemia. In cases refractory to the interventions above, or of chronic constrictive pericarditis, a surgical method (pericardial window or pericardiectomy) should be considered. |