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[Work-up and management of constrictive pericarditis: a critical review]
Bruno Pinamonti1, Sara Habjan2, Antonio De Luca1
1Dipartimento Cardiovascolare e Scuola di Specializzazione in Malattie dell'Apparato Cardiovascolare, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria "Ospedali Riuniti", Trieste.
Insights
Constrictive pericarditis, a rare heart condition, impairs cardiac filling and can lead to heart failure. Early echocardiography and specific diagnostic signs aid in identifying this condition, guiding treatment for improved prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Internal Medicine
Context:
- Constrictive pericarditis is a rare pericardial disease.
- It impairs cardiac filling and can lead to heart failure.
- Differential diagnosis includes restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Purpose:
- To outline the diagnostic approach to constrictive pericarditis.
- To highlight key echocardiographic findings.
- To discuss advanced imaging and invasive methods.
Summary:
- Echocardiography is crucial for initial diagnosis, revealing signs like abnormal septal shift and altered flow velocities.
- Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging detect pericardial thickening.
- Invasive cardiac catheterization assesses hemodynamic severity in complex cases.
Impact:
- Accurate diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis is essential for appropriate management.
- Pericardiectomy in symptomatic patients improves prognosis.
- Distinguishing constrictive pericarditis from restrictive cardiomyopathy is clinically significant.
Abstract:
Constrictive pericarditis is a rare pericardial disorder that causes an impairment of cardiac filling and frequently heart failure. The clinical presentation is non-specific and the differential diagnosis includes myocardial diseases, particularly restrictive cardiomyopathy. Echocardiography has a central role in the initial diagnosis. Some peculiar signs, such as abnormal inspiratory shift of the interventricular septum, increased respiratory variations of transmitral, transtricuspid and hepatic vein flow velocities and the normality of early diastolic relaxation velocity (e') at tissue Doppler, increase the likelihood of the disease. These signs are an expression of increased ventricular interdependence and dissociation between intrathoracic and intracardiac pressures typical of pericardial constriction. For further diagnosis, computed tomography and magnetic resonance are used to identify the presence of pericardial thickening. Invasive cardiac catheterization is indicated in dubious cases and in the assessment of the severity of hemodynamic abnormalities, especially in cases with surgical indication. Pericardiectomy is indicated in symptomatic patients meeting the diagnostic criteria of constrictive pericarditis and is able to improve the prognosis.
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