Pulmonary venous flow in constrictive pericarditis.
A 35-year-old white female patient presented with radiation-induced constrictive pericarditis. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography revealed a uniphasic diastolic flow pattern. This pulmonary flow pattern reverted to a normal biphasic systolic/diastolic profile immediately following radical pericardiectomy. This abnormal flow pattern was previously described as typical for restrictive cardiomyopathy. However, in this case it is most likely due to a marked decrease in left atrial compliance induced by the thick fibrous scar encasing the atrial.
Shapira
O M
OM
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, USA.
Connelley
G P
GP
Aldea
G S
GS
Shemin
R J
RJ
D000328:Adult; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010492:Pericardiectomy; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow