Percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy by the use of inoue balloon for the management of recurrent cardiac tamponade in a patient with lung cancer

A 32-year-old man with lung cancer involving pericarditis carcinomatosa und erwent pericardiotomy, using an Inoue balloon dilating catheter, to create a non-surgical pericardial window. The procedure was performed from the tho racic wall to the left pleural effusion and parietal pericardium under loca l anesthesia. The effects of non-surgical pericardial window had been maint ained until this patient died from his primary disease. It is concluded tha t percutaneous balloon pericardiotomy is helpful in the management of massi ve pericardial effusions particularly in patients with malignancies and poo r clinical condition.