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Updated: Aug 2, 2025

Local Anesthetic Thoracoscopy for Undiagnosed Pleural Effusion
Published on: November 10, 2023
A large pericardial cyst mimicking a unilateral pleural effusion: A case report
Minfang Li1,2, Chunfeng Yang1,3, Jinshuai Li1,3
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
Rationale:
Pericardial cysts are a rare benign disorder with a variable clinical presentation depending on their size and location. The diagnosis of pericardial cysts is usually based on imaging examinations. The definitive treatment is surgical resection.
Patient Concern:
A 36-year-old woman presented with progressive left-sided chest pain and exertional dyspnea, with symptoms resembling pleural effusion.
Diagnoses:
The patient was diagnosed with a pericardial cyst based on imaging and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).
Intervention:
VATS was performed.
Outcomes:
The patient's symptoms improved after successful removal of the pericardial cyst. Follow-up chest computed tomography exhibited no evidence of recurrence.
Lessons:
Clinicians should include pericardial cysts in the differential diagnosis of pseudopleural effusion. VATS is a feasible and safe method to treat symptomatic and large pericardial cysts.
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