CT-guided drainage of pericardial effusions

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and safety of CT-guided drainage of pericardial effusions. Methods: CT-guided drainage of pericardial effusion was carried out with Seldinger-technique in 14 patients suffering from cardiac tamponade. Results: Catheters had been successfully placed into the pericardial space for draining effusion in all patients with no severe complications. The total procedure time covered from 15 to 23 minutes. Conclusions: CT-guided drainage of pericardial effusions is feasible and safe especially in cases not accessible under sonographic surveillance. (authors)