Uremic pericarditis. Treatment by limited pericardiectomy

Between 1963 and 1979, limited pericardiectomy through left anterolateral thoracotomy was performed in 14 patients with uremic pericarditis. Two patients died after operation and one patient presented an early recurrence. Within a mean follow-up time of 3.3 years there were 7 late deaths but no recurrences or no cases of constrictive pericardidis. After reviewing the literature, it is concluded that the best early and late results in uremic pericarditis are obtained with pericardiectomy through an anterolateral thoractomy, the subxiphoid approach with creation of a pericardial window being a good alternative in critically ill patients.