Diagnosis of pericardial disease using percutaneous biopsy: case report and literature review.

We describe the case of a 75-year-old man who presented with a large pericardial effusion and an intrapericardial mass. Malignant thymoma with pericardial involvement was diagnosed by percutaneous pericardial tumor biopsy. The pleural effusion was not malignant. The patient underwent further oncologic evaluation followed by adjunctive chemotherapy and radical extirpation of the tumor. He remains asymptomatic and free of disease 24 months after the procedure. We also discuss the role of percutaneous biopsy in the diagnosis of pericardial diseases.