Acute Pericardits and its Diagnosis

Abstract

The normal pericardium is a double-layered sac; the visceral pericardium is a serous membrane that is separated by a small quantity (15–50 mL) of fluid, an ultrafiltrate of plasma, from the fibrous parietal pericardium. The normal pericardium, by exerting a restraining force, prevents sudden dilation of the cardiac chambers, especially of the right atrium and ventricle, during exercise and with hypervolemia. Acute pericarditis, by far the most common pathologic process involving the pericardium, may be classified both clinically and etiologically.