Rheumatic constrictive pericarditis. A case report and review of the literature.
A case of calcific constrictive pericarditis in a young White woman with a convincing history of previous acute rheumatic fever complicated by a possible valvular lesion is presented. Cardiac catheterization confirmed the suspicion of significant cardiac compression. Successful pericardiectomy was carried out, but microscopical examination of the excised pericardium failed to demonstrate a cause. In view of the strong past history of acute rheumatic fever and mild mitral insufficiency demonstrated at cardiac catheterization, the author proposes that the calcific constrictive pericarditis was of rheumatic origin. A review of the literature on the association between rheumatic infection and constrictive pericarditis follows.
D000328:Adult; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000150:complications*