Ultrasonographic Findings of Epipericardial Fat Necrosis: A Case Report

Epipericardial fat necrosis (EFN) is an uncommon benign and self-limited disease, which was initially described by Jackson et al. (1). It presents with acute chest pain and can mimic serious diseases, such as acute myocardial infarction or pulmonary thromboembolism (2). Computed tomography (CT) characteristics of EFN are well described as the encapsulated fatty lesion with perilesional strands and thickening of adjacent pericardium in the epipericardial area (3). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) also might be helpful for distinguishing EFN from other causes of acute chest pain or fat-containing tumors (4). For confirming the diagnosis, the involution of this lesion on follow-up is important. Serial CT or MRI is usually used for follow-up in the previous reports (3, 4). To the best our knowledge, this is the first reported case of EFN evaluated with ultrasonography (USG). Here, we describe initial presentation and follow-up USG findings of EFN, and correlated these with CT findings.