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Case Reports
. 2011 Apr;7(2):337-41.
doi: 10.5114/aoms.2011.22088. Epub 2011 May 17.

Epipericardial fat necrosis - a rare cause of pleuritic chest pain: case report and review of the literature

Thomas Runge  1 , M Andrew Greganti
Affiliations
Case Reports

Epipericardial fat necrosis - a rare cause of pleuritic chest pain: case report and review of the literature

Thomas Runge et al. Arch Med Sci. 2011 Apr.

Abstract

Epipericardial fat necrosis (EPFN) is an uncommon cause of chest pain. Typically manifesting as severe acute chest pain, EPFN can be mistaken for a serious disorder, such as pulmonary embolism or myocardial infarction. We report a case of EPFN, diagnosed tentatively based on clinical and radiographic findings, with documented resolution of the lesion on chest CT. According to our literature search, this is only the second case in which chest CT alone was used to both diagnose the lesion and track its resolution. It is the first documented case diagnosed and followed as such in North America.

Keywords: chest pain; fat necrosis; pleuritic.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chest CT: A) Coronal section shows low attenuation of the pericardial fat (arrow). An area of pathologic fat necrosis and inflammation is seen lateral to the pericardial fat, corresponding to the shadow seen on admission CXR. An axial section (B), shows the necrotic area (arrow). Six months later (C), the lesion measured 1.4 cm
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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