Clinically Symptomatic Pericardial Effusions in Hospitalized Systemic Sclerosis Patients: Demographics and Management

BACKGROUND: Pericardial effusions in systemic sclerosis (SSc) may present as acute or chronic with or without clinical symptoms. Best treatment is unknown and whether patients receive medical therapy or a surgical procedure is clinician-dependent. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of patients with SSc and clinically symptomatic pericardial effusions treated in the inpatient setting. METHODS: We evaluated all SSc admissions over a 10-year period to a tertiary care hospital which has a dedicated SSc clinic. Patients who had a clinically symptomatic pericardial effusion were evaluated based on their demographics, disease pattern, and medical or surgical management. RESULTS: From January 2005 till October 2015, there were 462 SSc admissions with 32 (6.9%) of them being for a clinically symptomatic pericardial effusion in 23 unique patients. Eleven (47%) of these patients had right heart failure, seventeen (74%) had pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and 4 (17%) had tamponade physiology. Five (22%) patients were treated by a surgical procedure, while eighteen (78%) patients had medical therapy. Patients who received medical therapy tended to be older, have a lower serum Cr level, and more likely have right heart failure. CONCLUSION: Clinically symptomatic pericardial effusion is a rare cause for hospital admissions in SSc, with a high percentage of these patients having PAH. Medical therapy tends to be reserved for older patients with right heart failure, while surgical therapy was more likely in patients with higher serum Cr levels.