[Difficulties and errors in diagnosing exudative pericarditis]

The peculiar features of the course of atypical variants of pericarditis with effusion are considered on the basis of concrete clinical cases, and the informative value of some symptoms and their reliability in making the diagnosis are discussed. Examples are given of patients with adhesive pericarditis with effusion some of whom developed heart tamponade with fluid in the formation of a non-stretchable external capsule and others had compression by the internal capsule.