Unusual presentation of idiophatic chronic constrictive pericarditis.
A 55-year-old male patient presented in our service with progressive dyspnea and ascitis beginning 1 year and 8 months previously. He weighed 160 kg (normal weight 95 kg), with ascitis and orthopnea. On admission he presented normal echocardiograms. An electrocardiogram showed diffuse inverted T waves. An endomyocardial biopsy was not elucidative. A new echocardiogram confirmed a very thick pericardium. Surgical pericardial resection was indicated. The postoperative period was uneventful with complete remission of symptoms. The anatomopathological analysis was normal. The pericarditis was classified as idiopathic. This case is a warning for the need of much suspicion in patients with apparent causeless voluminous ascitis.
Godoy
Moacir Fernandes de
MF
Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery Department in the Medical School in São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP). mfgodoy@netsite.com.br
Francischi
Fábio Barros de
FB
Pavarino
Paulo Roberto
PR
Oliveira
Marcos Aurélio Barboza de
MA
Soares
Marcelo José Ferreira
MJ
Braile
Domingo Marcolino
DM
D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010492:Pericardiectomy; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery