SPONTANEOUS ECHO CONTRAST IN MASSIVE PERICARDIAL-EFFUSION WITH TAMPONADE

Spontaneous echo contrast is uncommon in pericardial effusion. We repo rt the case of a patient with massive malignant pericardial effusion c ausing cardiac tamponade in which the intense spontaneous echo contras t was found in the effusion by echocardiography. It was suggested that both the heavy blood content and a large amount of pericardial effusi on were needed to create the phenomenon of spontaneous echo contrast i n the pericardial cavity.