Diastolic hibernation masquerading as constrictive pericarditis.
BACKGROUND
Hibernating myocardium has traditionally been characterized in terms of systolic dysfunction.


METHODS
We describe a case in which a 75-year-old patient with significant coronary artery disease was operated upon for classic constrictive pericarditis.


RESULTS
At sternotomy, there was no evidence of pericarditis, but marked diastolic without systolic dysfunction remained. After successful coronary revascularization, the patient immediately exhibited dramatic improvement of diastolic performance. Ex vivo evaluation of myocardial contractile function revealed normal myocardial adrenergic responsiveness, indicating a reversible impairment of contractility.


CONCLUSIONS
Diastolic hibernation may therefore represent a unique form of surgically correctable restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Cain
B S
BS
Department of Surgery, University of Colorado, Denver 80262, USA.
Meldrum
D R
DR
Joo
K S
KS
Davis
R J
RJ
Harken
A H
AH
D000368:Aged; D002313:Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D017682:Myocardial Stunning / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology