title: [Constrictive pericarditis: diagnostic aspects and surgical results in 23 cases].
abstract: We reviewed the clinical data on 23 patients operated on for constrictive pericarditis. Mean age was 35 years and 17 were males. The chief complaint was dyspnea (87%). Outstanding physical findings were venous hypertension (96%), hepatomegaly (78%), ascitis (57%), pulsus paradoxus (57%) and Kussmaul sign (43%). The ECG, although always abnormal was non contributory. Chest X ray findings included cardiomegaly (48%) and pericardial calcification (35%). Half of the cases showed pericardial thickening and abnormal septal motion on M mode echocardiography. An equalization of diastolic pressures and the dip and plateau sign was confirmed at cardiac catheterization in all cases. The etiology could be established in only 6 patients (tuberculosis 3, traumatic 2 and septic 1). Surgical mortality was 9% (2 patients). Follow up was available on 10 patients at a mean of 35 months, 9 in functional class I and 1 in FC II.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bíanchi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kauffmann
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meruane
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goich
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Godoy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
vernacular_title: Pericarditis constrictiva: aspectos diagnósticos y resultados quirúrgicos en 23 casos.