Indicaciones e interpretación de pruebas de imagen en las enfermedades pericárdicas

Echocardiography is the first line technique for all patients with suspected pericardial disease. It is particularly useful in identifying and assessing pericardial effusion and taponade, and in the functional evaluation of constrictive pericarditis. Moreover, it offers essential data for the differential diagnosis of the main pericardial syndromes and other disorders with similar symptoms that present with myocardial involvement, such as restrictive myocardiopathy. Computerised tomography is better in identifying pericardial calcifications. Magnetic resonance enables complete study of the anatomy and function of the pericardium and the other cardiac structures, including morphology and ventricular function, ventricular coupling with «real-time» sequences, tissue characterisation, and the detection of oedema and areas of fibrosis.