Pericardial effusion associated with minoxidil therapy: case reports

Symptomatic pericardial effusion (PE) occurred in two of our patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) who had taken minoxidil for control of their hypertension. One of them died from the effects of cardiogenic shock due to cardiac tamponade. The 2 patients had taken minoxidil for over 3 months. Other patients who had CRF had not developed symptomatic PE while being treated with other anti-hypertensive agents. Our experience conforms with reports from elsewhere that minoxidil may cause PE. Therefore, patients with CRF who need minoxidil as an anti-hypertensive agent should be examined regularly for clinical evidence of PE.