Outcomes of Patients with and without Malignancy Undergoing Percutaneous Pericardiocentesis for Pericardial Effusion.

(1)

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the etiologies and clinical outcomes of patients with pericardial effusion (PE) treated with echo-guided percutaneous pericardiocentesis. (2)

Methods

Between July 2010 and December 2020, a total of 502 patients underwent echo-guided percutaneous pericardiocentesis for PE at our hospital. The reasons for PE were malignancy (N = 277), and non-malignancy (N = 225). The comorbidities, complications, and all-cause mortality were compared between the malignancy and non-malignancy groups. (3)

Results

In multivariable Cox regression analyses for 1-year mortality, malignancy related PE, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cancer, and metastatic status were positive predictors. A higher incidence of in-hospital and 1-year mortality were observed in patients with malignancy-related PE than with non-malignancy-related PE. In patients with malignancy-related PE, the Kaplan-Meier curve of 1-year all-cause mortality significantly differed between patients with or without metastasis; however, PE with or without malignant cells did not influence the prognosis. (4)

Conclusions

In the patients with large PE requiring percutaneous pericardiocentesis, malignancy-related PE, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cancer, and metastatic status were positive predictors of 1-year mortality. In patients with malignancy, a higher incidence of all-cause mortality was noted in patients with metastasis but did not differ between the groups with and without malignant cells in PE.