The author briefly present the clinical, laboratory, roentgenologic and electrocardiographic data obtained from 24 cases of pericarditis of various origins which were observed over a peroid of three and half years, from July 1964 to December 1967.
The morbidity of these patients was greatest in the pale. Tuberculosis was the most frequent cause in the etiology of pericarditis and nonspecific and malignancy were the next in frequency.
Cardinal symptoms in the order of frequency were dyspnea, chest pain, fever and cough, and commonly noted signs in the order of frequency were hepatomegaly, engorgementof neck vein, increased cardiac dullness, pleural effusion, weak heart sound, peripheral edema, paradoxical pulse, ascites, narrow pulse pressure, pericardial friction rub, and cyanosis. Roentgenograms of the chest were typical of pericarditis in 45.4% of the cases, and the shadow of calcification could be observed in 18.1% of_the cases.
The most common electrocardiographic findings were low voltage in 36.3% and the elevation of ST segment were noted in 27.2% of the cases. The circulation time was prolonged in 58.8% of the cases and venous pressure was elevated in all cases.
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