Diagnosis and Testing

Diagnosis and Testing for Pericardial Disease

If your care team believes you may have pericardial disease, they will do a physical exam. They will listen to your heart and check your blood pressure. They may also order:

• Blood tests. These can rule out other possible causes, including heart attack. A blood test can also help show the amount of damage and may find the reason for the disease.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Chest X-ray
• Echocardiogram
• Heart catheterization
• Computed tomography (CT) scan. This test looks at the pericardium and may rule out other potential causes of pain.
• Cardiac MRI. This test can help diagnose pericardial disease and guide treatment options for:
  • Acute pericarditis
  • Recurrent pericarditis
  • Constrictive pericarditis