SEVERE RIGHT-VENTRICULAR CONTRACTION ASYNCHRONISM REVEALING A LARGE PERICARDIAL-EFFUSION

A gated blood-pool equilibrium radionuclide angiography was performed in a patient to determine the ejection fraction for doxorubicin cardio toxicity evaluation, The phase image of the first harmonic of the Four ier analysis revealed a severe delay of the right ventricular contract ion compared with that of the left ventricle, This right ventricular c ontraction asynchronism was due to a large pericardial effusion, confi rmed by the presence of the halo sign on the summed gated images and b y echocardiography. The phase delay moves towards normalization after pericardiocentesis, Although radionuclide angiocardiography is not the best method for identification of pericardial effusion, this diagnosi s should be evoked when a severe homogenous delay of the right ventric ular contraction is observed.