Epipericardic fat necrosis: CT diagnosis

Epipericardial Fat Necrosis: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature

“…Slightly elevated D-dimer, CRP, and/or white blood cell count is relatively common in EFN, 2 , 6 - 10 which also is true for most of its differentials. Echocardiogram is usually normal, but nonspecific ECG changes such as ST-T wave abnormalities are reported.…”

“…3,21,26 The aetiology of EFN remains unknown, but it is believed to represent the same entity as the more common various types of intraperitoneal focal fatty necrosis (epiploic appendagitis and omental infarction), fat necrosis in the breast and in subcutaneous tissue as both pathological traits and CT-findings are similar. 1,7,17 Major working theories of EFN are necrosis trigged by a Valsalva manoeuvre, torsion of a vascularized fat appendage, or pre-existing abnormalities (lipoma and hamartoma). 11,13,21 The latter have been seen in some patients undergoing surgery.…”

Epipericardial Fat Necrosis: A Unique Clinicoradiologic Disease

“…My painstaking search of the English-language medical literature yielded 57 cases of EPFN (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18), including the case in this issue from Shah and associates ( 4 ). At fi rst blush, this small number of reported cases supports the widely held concept that EPFN is infrequent to rare.…”