Incidental detection of pericardial effusions on abdominal ultrasound studies.

During ultrasounc studies of the abdomen, three cases of pericardial effusion, two proven and one presumptive, were detected as incidental findings. Pericardial effusion was not clinically suspected at the time of study. Study of the heart-liver interface is simple and can be done in routine abdominal ultrasound study. The pericardial effusion can also be aspirated through a B-mode aspiration transducer.