Dry, Thomas J.

Persistent pericardial effusion in the absence of obvious preceding or concurrent disease presents a baffling problem. In such cases chylopericardium, cholesterol pericarditis, lupus erythematosus, malignant disease, myxedema, severe anemia, and scleroderma, must be considered. Six cases are reported with large effusions present for from 1 to 11 years. The diagnostic measures to be used, the results of histologic examination, and the effects of surgery on the clinical course are discussed.

The degree of coronary atherosclerosis in 49 hearts obtained from bilaterally oophorectomized women was compared with the degree of sclerosis in 600 hearts from women and in 600 hearts from men of comparable ages. On the average the degree of coronary sclerosis in the bilaterally oophorectomized women was greater than in control women but less than in control men.