Between 1971 and 1981, 108 patients with pericardial effusion were treated by subxyphoid pericardial decompression. 68 patients (63%) had local anesthesia, while general anesthesia was used in 40 (37%). The total group included nonspecific (viral) pericarditis in 35 patients (32.4%), uremic pericarditis in 30 (27.8%); and 20 patients (18.5%) with a malignant etiology, traumatic in ten patients (9.3%), six patients (5.6%) following radiation for malignant disease, and seven patients (6.5%) due to other causes. Echocardiography was diagnostic in all cases. Acute cardiac tamponade necessitated pericardiocentesis as an initial procedure in seven patients (6.5%). Subxyphoid pericardial decompression included drainage of the pericardial fluid and performance of a 5 X 5 cm pericardial window and biopsy of all patients. There were two (1.8%) operative deaths in the general anesthesia group but none in the local anesthesia group. There were no major complication in the local anesthesia group, but one patient in the general anesthesia group, who was severely hypertensive preoperatively, developed hemiplegia on the left side. There were five recurrences (4.6%) requiring total pericardiectomy at a later date. Subxyphoid pericardial decompression under local anesthesia was seen to be a safe and effective procedure for primary decompression and diagnosis of acute or chronic pericardial effusion.