pericardial adhesion /-kär″dē·əl/ [Gk, peri, around, kardia, heart; L, adhesio, sticking to] , an attachment of the pericardium to the heart muscle, sometimes restricting the muscle’s action. In some cases a previous inflammation or surgery may result in dense fibrous adhesions that obliterate the pericardium. The condition may be general or localized and may involve adhesion between the two layers of pericardium (internal adhesive pericarditis), obstructing the pericardial cavity, or between one layer and surrounding tissues such as the diaphragm, mediastinum, or chest wall (external adhesive pericarditis) as a result of an inflammatory process. Also called adherent pericardium.
