Cardiac disease late after chest radiotherapy for Hodgkin's disease: a case report

This report presents a case of occult constrictive pericarditis and mitral valve insufficiency following chest radiotherapy. A 44-year-old man had received radiotherapy for the treatment of Hodgkin's disease 8 years ago. At age 40 years, effusive pericarditis occurred and he was treated with intrapericardial drainage. Biopsy revealed a fibrotic and thickened pericardium. He developed congestive heart failure 3 years later. The patient was found to have occult constrictive pericarditis and mitral valve insufficiency. He underwent mitral valve replacement, tricuspid annul plasty, and pericardiectomy. Although there is the benefit of cure for the Hodgkin's disease, the prognosis after treatment is affected by radiotherapy-induced heart disease. After radiotherapy of the chest and mediastinum, long-term cardiological follow-up is recommended in order to detecting patients with radiation-induced heart disease, such as the present case.