CT appearance of rheumatoid pericarditis

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis who develop symptoms of right heart failure, it is important to consider rheumatoid involvement of the pericardium because untreated rheumatoid pericarditis is often fatal. In addition to echocardiography and right heart catheterization, computed tomography affords a method of detecting pericardial effusion or a markedly thickened pericardium.