Computed tomography of the normal pericardium

Computed tomographic (CT) scans of 100 patients were reviewed to establish the normal thickness of the pericardium. The pericardium was identified in 95 of 100 patients. The mean width of the thinnest portion of the pericardium was 2.0 +/- 0.6 mm (1 SD) in males (N = 46) and 2.3 +/- 0.5 mm (1 SD) in females (N = 49). The mean width of the combined series was 2.2 +/- 0.6 mm (N = 95). In none of the 95 hearts reviewed was the width of the thinnest portion of the pericardium greater than 4 mm. Focal changes in width of the pericardium were a normal finding in patients without documented pericardial disease.