Prognosis of Malignant Pericardial Effusion Patients after Pleuro-pericardial Window Surgery in Urban Population
Laohathai S, MD1, Sadad Z, MD1, Suvarnakich K, MD1
Affiliation : 1 Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand
Objective : Malignant pericardial effusion (MPE) is uncommon in advance stage cancer. However, it could cause a life-threatening
condition such as cardiac tamponade. Surgical drainage is routinely recommended as a rapid and effective treatment in this disease.
This study aims to investigate an overall outcome after pleuro-pericardial window surgery in MPE patients.
Materials and Methods : From 2007 to 2017, 32 MPE patients who underwent pleuro-pericardial window were enrolled. Benign
pericardial disease or patients who receive only pericardiocentesis or pericardial sclerosing agent were excluded. Baseline clinical
data such as sex, primary cancer, complication rate and result of pathological from pericardial biopsy were collected, retrospectively.
Overall survival (OS) was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test.
Results : There were 18 male patients with mean age of 55 years old. The majority of primary cancers was lung cancer, followed by
breast cancer. Mean overall survival was 3.7 months. There was no recurrence. Overall survival at 30-day mortality, 3 months and
1 year were 75%, 59% and 19%, respectively. In subgroup analysis, there was no difference in overall survival between lung cancer
and non-lung cancer group (p = 0.650).
Conclusion : Pleuro-pericardial window is a safe and effective procedure with low recurrence rate. However, decision-making
should be made individually for each patient.
Keywords : Pericardial window, Malignant pericardial effusion, Cancer
