Pericardial decompression syndrome in a patient with hypothyroidism presenting as massive pericardial effusion: a case report and review of related literature.

The authors present a case of a 44-year-old female with unrecognised hypothyroidism consulting for heart failure symptoms. Echocardiogram revealed massive pericardial effusion with tamponade physiology, attributed to primary hypothyroidism from a previous thyroidectomy. Levothyroxine was started at a dose of 0.7 ug/kg/day followed by subxiphoid pericardiostomy. 9 h postpericardiostomy however, hypotension developed and despite hydration and inotropic support, patient succumbed to cardiogenic shock on the 14th hospital day.