A study of pericardial effusion in patients of hypothyroidism at Government Medical College Amritsar

Dr Gian Chand; Dr Ajay Chhabra; Dr Shanker Deep Sondhi; Dr Santokh Singh

Volume : V, Issue : V, May - 2016

A study of pericardial effusion in patients of hypothyroidism at Government Medical College Amritsar

Dr Gian Chand, Dr Ajay Chhabra, Dr Shanker Deep Sondhi, Dr Santokh Singh

Abstract :

Problem statement: Hypothyroidism is one of the common hypoendocrine disorders. Besides overt disease because of lack of routine screening and patient awareness many patients of subclinical disease remain undiagnosed and hence untreated. Hypothyroidism affects a number of organs and has deleterious effects on cardiovascular system. Pericardial involvement in the form of pericardial effusion is an important observation. This study plans to ascertain the prevalence of pericardial effusion in patients of hypothyroidism. Aims and objectives: To study the prevalence of pericardial effusion in hypothyroid patients and to correlate it with TSH levels. Materials and methods: This study was conducted on 50 patients of hypothyroidism at Government Medical College, Amritsar. Every patient was subjected to trans-thoracic echocardiography and TSH levels were done. Data thus derived was statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 7 patients (14%) were having pericardial effusion, 6 of these were females and 1 was male. Serum T3 and T4 levels were lower and serum TSH levels were higher in hypothyroid patients with pericardial effusion as compared to those patients who were not having pericardial effusion. The data obtained from our study indicated that association between TSH or T4 levels and pericardial effusion was stronger than the one that existed between T3 levels and pericardial effusion.