Pericardial Effusion: Marked Serum Transaminase Elevations: A Report of Four Cases

Introduction  GLUTAMIC oxaloacetic transaminase is an enzyme found in significant concentrations in heart, liver, skeletal muscle, kidney, pancreas, spleen, and lung. Damage to these tissues results in release of the enzyme into the circulation.¹ Measurement of the serum levels of the enzyme (SGOT) may be of great value in the diagnosis of certain disease states.With widespread use of the SGOT determination as a clinical tool, abnormal elevations have been reported in an increasing number of conditions. Myocardial infarction,^1-8 congestive heart failure,^2-4,8-10 hypotensive shock,^1-3,8,11 dissecting aneurysm,¹⁰ myocarditis,⁸ pericarditis,^{1,8, 10,12,13} viral hepatitis,^1,8 toxic hepatitis,^1,8,14 cirrhosis of both extra and intrahepatic origin,^1,8 metastatic disease to the liver,^1,8 pulmonary infarction,^1,8,10,13 severe acute pancreatitis,^1,8,15 hemolytic crises,^8,16 musculoskeletal injury,^1,8,17 splenic and renal infarction,^1,8 and cerebral vascular accidents,^8,17 constitute but some of the disease states associated with an