Radiological approach to cardiac tamponade

Cardiac tamponade is a life-threatening medical emergency. The radiologist's role in the clinical management of patients with cardiac tamponade is usually minor and nearly always limited to the diagnostic process, and the condition is normally treated by other specialists. In this review, we aim to provide readers with the essential information to enable a complete diagnostic and therapeutic radiological approach. We emphasize US-guided percutaneous pericardial drainage; when performed correctly, this technique improves patients' symptoms immediately with minimal discomfort and a very low rate of complications.