Pericardial Cysts: A Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation and Review

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Abstract
Pericardial cysts are generally described as round radiodensities typically found at the right cardiophrenic angle in asymptomatic individuals. A review of all cases of pericardial cysts from the files of this Institute reveals that approximately 1/3 of the cysts are found in other locations and approximately 1/3 of patients have symptoms of chest pain, dyspnea or persistent cough. The radiographs of 41 patients show that in all but 6 of the cases the cyst is visualized as a round radiodensity touching both the hemidiaphragm and the anterior chest wall. Of the 41, 15 occurred on the left border of the heart. The 6 cysts significantly above the diaphragm were difficult to diagnose radiologically and were usually mistaken for thymomas or pulmonary masses; 2 such cysts caused bronchial obstruction. The possibliity that a mass in eigher anterior cardiophrenic angle is a pericardial cyst should be strongly considered, even if the mass is on the left side and the patient is symptomatic.

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