Which of the following is NOT typically considered a cause of cardiac tamponade?

• A. Trauma
• B. Pericarditis
• C. Atherosclerotic coronary disease
• D. Autoimmune disorders

Answer: (C)

Tamponade happens when fluid or blood builds up in the pericardial sac and presses on the heart, preventing it from filling properly during diastole. Things that commonly lead to this are conditions that create or release pericardial fluid or blood into that space: trauma can cause a hemopericardium, pericarditis (whether infectious, autoimmune, or inflammatory) can produce a fluid-rich effusion, and autoimmune disorders can trigger pericardial inflammation with effusion.

Atherosclerotic coronary disease, on the other hand, affects the coronary arteries and leads to ischemia or infarction of the myocardium. It does not by itself typically cause a pericardial effusion large enough to produce tamponade. While a heart attack can be followed by pericarditis in rare situations, that is not the usual or primary pathway to tamponade. Therefore, atherosclerotic coronary disease is not typically considered a cause of cardiac tamponade.