IMAGING IN CARDIOLOGY
Constrictive pericarditis
T.A. Simmers, N. de Jonge
A 72-year-old male was referred with complaints Zof progressive exertional dyspnoea, abdominal distension and discomfort, and marked oedema extending to the upper thighs. The patient's history included tuberculosis during World War II. Physical examination revealed elevated central venous pressure, hepatomegaly and pitting oedema. Auscultation of heart and lungs was unremarkable. Echocardiography revealed an echodense thickening ofthe pericardium, abnormal septal motion and a left ventricular filling pattern consistent with the suspected diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis. This diagnosis was confirmed at cardiac catheterisation. A heavily calcified pericardium was observed, completely encasing the heart. N
T.A. Simmers. N. de Jonge. Department of Cardiology, E03.406, University Medical Centre, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht.
Address for correspondence: T.A. Simmers. E-mail: [email protected]
Netherlands Heart Journal, Volume 11, Number 12, December 2003
...I.... _...
_....
Figure 1. Left anterior obliqe view during the diastolic phase of left ventricular cineangiography. Note the widespread and heavy calkifcation of the periardium, resonsible for constrictive pericarditis in this patient.
In this section a remarkable 'image' is presented and a short comment is given. We invite you to send in images (in triplicate) with a short comment (one to two pages at the most) to Mediselect bv, Editorial Office Netherlands Heart Journal, PO Box 63, 3830 AB Leusden, the Netherlands. This section is edited by M.J.M. Cramer.
523
Constrictive pericarditis
T.A. Simmers, N. de Jonge
A 72-year-old male was referred with complaints Zof progressive exertional dyspnoea, abdominal distension and discomfort, and marked oedema extending to the upper thighs. The patient's history included tuberculosis during World War II. Physical examination revealed elevated central venous pressure, hepatomegaly and pitting oedema. Auscultation of heart and lungs was unremarkable. Echocardiography revealed an echodense thickening ofthe pericardium, abnormal septal motion and a left ventricular filling pattern consistent with the suspected diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis. This diagnosis was confirmed at cardiac catheterisation. A heavily calcified pericardium was observed, completely encasing the heart. N
T.A. Simmers. N. de Jonge. Department of Cardiology, E03.406, University Medical Centre, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht.
Address for correspondence: T.A. Simmers. E-mail: [email protected]
Netherlands Heart Journal, Volume 11, Number 12, December 2003
...I.... _...
_....
Figure 1. Left anterior obliqe view during the diastolic phase of left ventricular cineangiography. Note the widespread and heavy calkifcation of the periardium, resonsible for constrictive pericarditis in this patient.
In this section a remarkable 'image' is presented and a short comment is given. We invite you to send in images (in triplicate) with a short comment (one to two pages at the most) to Mediselect bv, Editorial Office Netherlands Heart Journal, PO Box 63, 3830 AB Leusden, the Netherlands. This section is edited by M.J.M. Cramer.
523
