An unusual mid term complication of coronary rupture

A 55-year-old man was admitted with a four-month history of lethargy, dyspnea and ascites. An idiopathic liver cirrhosis was suspected to be responsible for these symptoms and for elevated hepatic enzymes on blood tests. A few months before he had an angioplasty on the left anterior descending artery for an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The intervention was complicated by coronary perforation which required the implantation of a polytetrafluoroethylene-covered (PTFE) stent to seal the rupture. On admission, pressure measurements during cardiac catheterism revealed a typical right ventricular dip-plateau consistent with the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis (CP). Magnetic resonance imaging (RMI) showed localized pericardial thickening next to the right ventricle. We suspect hemopericardium, due to coronary perforation, is responsible for constrictive pericarditis. This mid-term complication of coronary rupture has not been reported before and should be suspected in this particular clinical setting.