Diagnosis
To diagnose pericarditis, your doctor might need to ask some questions concerning your symptoms and medical history. After that, a physical exam is needed to check for possible signs of inflammation. He or she might need to use a stethoscope to listen around your chest and find out any excess fluid. In addition, abnormal sounds around your chest area when you breathe can indicate the rubbing of pericardium against the outer part of the heart. Other tests that can be used for diagnosing pericarditis include electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, echocardiogram, CT scan, MRI, right heart catheterization, or blood test. [4]
