2015 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases

2015 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases: The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Management of Pericardial Diseases of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
Endorsed by: The European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS)

The pericardium is a double-walled sac containing the heart and the roots of the great vessels. The pericardial sac has two layers, a serous visceral layer (also known as epicardium when it comes into contact with the myocardium) and a fibrous parietal layer. It encloses the pericardial cavity, which contains pericardial fluid. The pericardium fixes the heart to the mediastinum, gives protection against infection and provides lubrication for the heart.

Pericardial diseases may be either isolated disease or part of a systemic disease. The main pericardial syndromes that are encountered in clinical practice include pericarditis (acute, subacute, chronic and recurrent), pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade, constrictive pericarditis and pericardial masses. All medical therapies for pericardial diseases are off-label, since no drug has been registered until now for a specific pericardial indication.


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