Mixed constrictive pericarditis and restrictive cardiomyopathy in a child: treatment guided by tissue Doppler imaging.
Mixed lesions of restrictive cardiomyopathy and constrictive pericarditis have been reported rarely and represent a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. Restrictive cardiomyopathy has a poor prognosis with an average 2-year survival rate of less than 50% from the time of diagnosis. Heart transplantation is usually the only treatment option available. On the other hand, constrictive pericarditis may be surgically treated by pericardiectomy with low mortality. When these two lesions coexist, the inappropriate selection of treatment may be disastrous. We report a case of this mixed lesion in a child in which tissue Doppler echocardiography provided important information indicating that pericardectomy might be successful.
Wang
Alicia
A
Sibley Heart Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.alicia.wang@choa.org
Vincent
Robert N
RN
Johnson
Gregory
G
Kanter
Kirk R
KR
Fyfe
Derek A
DA
D000293:Adolescent; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002313:Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D010492:Pericardiectomy; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology