title: Primary malignant pericardial mesothelioma - a rare cause of pericardial effusion and consecutive constrictive pericarditis: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary malignant pericardial mesothelioma is a very rare pericardial tumor of unknown etiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 61-year-old Caucasian woman was admitted to our hospital complaining of exertional dyspnea due to a large pericardial effusion. Intrapericardial fluid volume declined after repeated pericardiocentesis, but the patient progressively developed a hemodynamically relevant pericardial constriction. Pericardiectomy revealed a pericardial mesothelioma. Subsequently, four cycles of chemotherapy (dosage according to recently published trials) were administered. The patient remained asymptomatic, and there was no recurrence of the tumor after three years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pericardial mesothelioma should be considered and managed appropriately in non-responders to pericardiocentesis, and in patients who develop constrictive pericarditis late in their clinical course.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Butz
authors.forename: Lothar
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Körfer
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lindner
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tannapfel
authors.forename: Klaus-Michael
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meissner
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Plehn
authors.forename: Hans-Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Trappe
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Horstkotte
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piper