Pericardial effusion in pediatric paragonimiasis: Surgery may not be necessary in cases of moderate to large effusion—a retrospective study

In the endemic areas of paragonimiasis,in cases of moderate to severe pericardial effusion a thorough epidemiological history should be taken, and paragonimiasis should be considered. In the absence of life-threatening conditions, early praziquantel treatment, combined with low-dose corticosteroids and regular echocardiography follow-up, can avoid unnecessary surgical intervention if effusion absorption is observed. However, the conclusion of this study is based on limited evidence, and further multicenter, prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to validate the findings.