Pericardial Effusion during Proton Therapy in a Patient with Chemorefractory Hodgkin Lymphoma

We present a case of recurrent pericardial effusion presenting during proton therapy in a 24-year-old female receiving mediastinal treatment for classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Pericardial effusion is typically considered an event accompanying lymphoma diagnosis or as a subacute or late effect of radiotherapy. Rarely has it been described as occurring during radiation treatment with photon-based radiotherapy, let alone proton therapy. It is unclear what underlying cause triggered recurrent effusion in this patient. Identifying and managing pericardial effusion during treatment delivery is important to consider as it may affect radiation dosimetry, particularly with proton therapy. Doing so will help ensure patients receive optimal treatment and minimize the risks of morbidity and mortality.

Large Hypothyroidism-Induced Pericardial Effusion with Increased Serum Tumor Markers

Pericardial effusion is a common disease seen by echocardiography, and it is found in 3–9% of annual echocardiograms. Although moderate pericardial effusion has been reported in some cases, it is usually asymptomatic and is rarely accompanied by cardiac tamponade. A large pericardial effusion may be due to various causes, including idiopathic causes, tuberculosis, cancer, connective tissue disease, infection, and hypothyroidism. Recent advances in analytic and imaging techniques have increased our ability to diagnose the cause of pericardial effusion accurately. This information is important for determining the proper treatment based on each case’s clinical characteristics. We report a case of large, recurrent pericardial effusion accompanied by hypothyroidism with initial increased levels of tumor markers, including cancer antigen 125, carcinoembryonic antigen, and alpha-fetoprotein. The patient was treated with thyroid hormone only. In follow-up images, the pericardial effusion was resolved and all of the tumor markers were normalized.

Cardiac Tamponade - A Hypothyroidism Associated Emergency: A Report of 2 Cases

Pericardial effusion in commonly seen in-patient with hypothyroidism but effusion large enough to cause cardiac tamponade is not a common presenting feature whereas myxedema coma is a commonly defined medical emergency in-patient with hypothyroidism. We report 2 cases of hypothyroid associated medical emergencies. First case is a young female with history of recurrent pericardial effusion presenting to the emergency department with cardiac tamponade and later on diagnosed as having hypothyroidism. The second patient is a known case of hypothyroidism non-compliant to thyroid supplement and presented with lethargy, fatigue, decreased talking and breathlessness who was later diagnosed as having myxedema coma and impending cardiac tamponade. Both the patient required percutaneous pericardiocentesis and improved with medical management.