Can Asthma Cause Pericardial Effusion? Insights Into an Intriguing Association

Abstract

Abstract Background Pericardial effusion (PE) is a commonly encountered condition in clinical practice, but its etiology can be difficult to identify, with many cases remaining classified as idiopathic. This study aimed to investigate whether an association exists between asthma and idiopathic PE (IPE). Methods Patients who had been diagnosed with PE in the authors' outpatient cardiology clinics between March 2015 and November 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The study population was divided into 2 groups—non-IPE (NIPE) and IPE—based on whether a cause had been identified. Demographic, laboratory, and clinical data for the 2 groups were examined statistically. Results A total of 714 patients were enrolled in the study after exclusion of 40 cases. Of these 714 patients, 558 were allocated to the NIPE group and 156 to the IPE group (NIPE group median [IQR] age, 50 [41–58] years vs IPE group median [IQR] age, 47 [39–56] years; P = .03). Asthma was significantly more prevalent among patients in the IPE group than among those in the NIPE group (n = 54 [34.6%] vs n = 82 [14.7%]; P < .001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, asthma (odds ratio, 2.67 [95% CI, 1.53–4.67]; P = .001) was found to be an independent predictor of IPE. In the IPE group, patients with asthma had either mild or moderate PE, with the right atrium being the most common location in these patients. Conclusion Asthma was an independent predictor of mild to moderate IPE. The right atrium was the most frequently encountered location for PE in patients with asthma.