A pericardial cyst is an uncommon benign dilatation of the pericardial sac surrounding the heart. It can lead to symptoms by compressing nearby structures, but is usually asymptomatic. Pericardial cysts can be congenital or acquired, and they are typically diagnosed with radiologic imaging. Management of pericardial cysts can include follow-up imaging, percutaneous aspiration, or surgical resection. Presentation
Pericardial cysts most often are asymptomatic, with 50 to 75% of patients experiencing no symptoms. The presentation of symptomatic cysts depends on the cyst location and effects on nearby structures, including the heart, lungs, and esophagus. Symptoms can include chest pain, cough, shortness of breath, palpitations, syncope, recurrent pneumonia, congestive heart failure, difficulty swallowing, and weight loss. Causes
Pericardial cysts can be congenital or acquired, with the majority being congenital. Congenital pericardial cysts happen due to an abnormality in the development of the pericardial sac that creates a bulge which is walled off to form a cyst. Acquired pericardial cysts can be caused by inflammation from surgery, pericarditis, trauma, echinococcosis, tuberculosis, metastasis, or hemodialysis. The inflammation can lead to a walled-off pocket of fluid that is a pericardial cyst. Diagnosis
Since pericardial cysts are often asymptomatic, the most common diagnosis is through incidental finding on a chest x-ray. When patients have symptoms, transthoracic echocardiogram is one of the first tests used to look for a pericardial cyst. CT or MRI may also be used to diagnose pericardial cysts. On CT and MRI a pericardial cyst will commonly appear as a round, fluid-filled structure surrounded by thin walls.
See also
Cough
Rhinitis
Seizure
Snatiation
Sniffle

References
Further reading
External links
 The dictionary definition of sneeze at Wiktionary
 Media related to Sneezing at Wikimedia Commons