Constrictive pericarditis with atrial septal defect in children

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pediatric Cardiology
• Cardiac Surgery

Background:

• Constrictive pericarditis (CP) is a rare condition in children.
• Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a common congenital heart defect.
• The co-occurrence of CP and ASD is exceptionally unusual.

Observation:

• This report details two pediatric cases (1 and 13 years old) presenting with coexisting CP and ASD.
• Preoperative diagnosis was achieved in both instances.
• Surgical intervention involved pericardiectomy and ASD closure.

Findings:

• One patient experienced a fatal outcome post-surgery due to low cardiac output.
• The second patient, who also had protein-losing enteropathy, showed dramatic improvement after surgery.
• Cardiac catheterization proved essential for diagnosing this rare combination.

Implications:

• This case series highlights the diagnostic challenges and management considerations for CP associated with ASD in pediatric patients.
• The underlying etiology for this combined condition remains to be elucidated.
• Further research is warranted to understand the pathogenesis and optimize treatment strategies for this rare clinical entity.