However, too much fluid around the heart can put pressure on the organ and impact its function.
This condition is relatively common.
Causes include infection, inflammatory conditions, trauma, and cancer.
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Treatment depends on how much fluid is present and the underlying cause.
It may be found incidentally during imaging for other reasons.
You might experience symptoms due to the underlying cause of the pericardial effusion.
For example, if an infection causes pericardial effusion, you may have a fever and chills.
Cardiac tamponade is a medical emergency.
Sometimes, the underlying cause remains a mystery.
A pericardial effusion often develops due topericarditis, in which the pericardium becomes inflamed.
Rarely, it might be because of a fungal or parasitic infection.
What Is Malignant Pericardial Effusion?
Malignant pericardial effusion is excess fluid around the heart due to cancer.
It most often occurs with lung cancer, breast cancer, or blood cancers.
If troponin is in your blood, it indicates that your heart muscle has some damage.
Higher levels of troponin mean more severe heart damage.
Additional tests that your healthcare provider may order include:
How Do You Treat Pericardial Effusion?
The most important step in treating pericardial effusion is identifying and treating the underlying cause.
If an underlying bacterial infection causes the pericardial effusion, the first line of treatment may be antibiotics.
The fluid can be further analyzed to determine the underlying cause.
This procedure might need to be repeated if more fluid accumulates.
Does Pericardial Effusion Go Away?
Pericardial effusion can be mild to severe, depending on the cause.
The prognosis is poor for people with fungal or bacterial pericarditis or pericardial effusion due to advanced cancer.
If left untreated, it can impact heart function.
There are various possible causes for this condition.
Your healthcare provider may use specific techniques, tests, or imaging to make a diagnosis.
The prognosis for pericardial effusion is good if its idiopathic or viral pericarditis.
If treated early, most people will recover within a few weeks.
However, the prognosis is poor for people with bacterial or fungal pericarditis or malignant pericardial effusion.
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