Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos

Pericarditis

Pericarditis. The heart is surrounded by a membrane called pericardium because it is located around the heart. This membrane supports the heart and protects it.

Pericarditis Causes

Many times because it is in the vicinity of organs such as the lungs and because it is rich in blood it can be affected by various factors such as germs. This can cause inflammation (pericardial edema) that causes severe symptoms: Chest pain that is aggravated by respiratory movements. Still, as a progression of the disease, fluid can accumulate around the heart. If it is too much, it can start to push it and cause very serious conditions: Dyspnoea and pressure disturbances that could lead to death. This is called acute pericarditis when it is not suppressed by heart pressure, so this is called obesity.

Pericarditis Diagnosis

As we have said, it is due to an infection of the respiratory usually virus but also a microbial infection. It can of course also be due to a number of systemic diseases such as: Renal insufficiency, autoimmune diseases, uremia, cancers and others that need to be investigated and addressed. In addition, immediate treatment of the disease also requires the experience to investigate the reasons that caused it.

Pericarditis Treatment

I have worked for many years as a scientific officer in cardiology and cardic-surgery ICU  . I had the chance to see the most persistent and aggressive pericarditis. And I think I have the experience to deal with it properly. But also monitoring the treatment requires great friction with the disease. Triplex of the heart is the most important exam along with blood-related markers for the diagnosis and monitoring of the disease. Another case is chronic pericarditis due to conditions that cause hardening of the pericardium. Thus the heart acquires a hard shell that limits its function. This is a very difficult cardiological entity that requires very careful treatment and monitoring and sometimes it will require surgery. Both surgical selection and postoperative follow-up are very important to be done by a cardiologist of great experience.

Marousi, Special Cardiologist Nicholas Panagiotopoulos