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Pericardial calcification in constrictive pericarditis

Michel Toledano1, Anjali Bhagra

  • 1Division of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA. bhagra.anjali@mayo.edu.

International Journal of Emergency Medicine
|October 16, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Diagnosing constrictive pericarditis (CP) in cirrhosis patients requires vigilance. A simple chest X-ray can help expedite diagnosis, preventing years of misdiagnosis for this serious condition.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Radiology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Constrictive pericarditis (CP) diagnosis is challenging in patients with cirrhosis and volume overload.
  • Symptoms are often misattributed to other conditions, leading to delayed diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the diagnostic utility of chest X-ray in identifying constrictive pericarditis.
  • To emphasize the importance of a high index of suspicion for CP in specific patient populations.

Main Methods:

  • Case report detailing a patient with presumed alcoholic cirrhosis presenting with anasarca.
  • Utilized abdominal ultrasound, chest X-ray, transthoracic echocardiogram, and ECG-gated CT scan for diagnosis.

Main Results:

  • Chest X-ray revealed pericardial calcification and pleural effusion, suggesting CP.
  • Multimodality imaging confirmed constrictive pericarditis.
  • Patient was referred for pericardiectomy.

Conclusions:

  • Constrictive pericarditis diagnosis is frequently overlooked, with symptoms often attributed to other diseases.
  • A multimodal approach is essential for diagnosing CP.
  • Chest X-ray is a valuable, non-invasive tool for early constrictive pericarditis detection.
Abstract

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