Water Bottle Heart

Water Bottle Heart

A descriptive term for the globose cardiac shadow typical of large pericardial effusions (PE) which, if < 250 ml, is often radiologically ‘silent’. PEs may be serous (due to congestive heart failure or decreased proteins in nephrotic syndrome, hepatic failure, malnutrition), serosanguineous (blunt chest trauma, CPR), chylous (lymphatic obstruction, half of which are due to malignancy, and lipids, especially cholesterol), or ‘pseudochylous’ effusions (either idiopathic or due to myxedema)

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water bottle heart

A descriptor for the globose cardiac shadow typical of large pericardial effusions–PE, which if < 250 ml are often radiologically 'silent'; PEs may be serous–due to CHF or ↓ proteins in nephrotic syndrome, hepatic failure, malnutrition, serosanguineous–blunt chest trauma, CPR, chylous–lymphatic obstruction,¹⁄₂ of which are due to malignancy and cholesterol–'pseudochylous' effusion, either idiopathic or due to myxedema