Severe calcification in chronic constrictive pericarditis of tuberculous-related a case report and literature review

Abstract

Chronic constrictive pericarditis is a pericardial affection that causes a severe impairment of myocardial compliance. Among its many etiologies, tuberculosis is the most common cause, mainly in developing countries. Multimodal imaging methods are essential tools for guiding diagnosis. We present the case of a 64-year-old man with no past medical history who presented with dyspnea stage II of NYHA and right heart failure. At admission, he was stable, with normal blood pressure and a normal heart rate. His ECG showed a low voltage of QRS complexes. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed significant pericardial thickening enveloping the ventricles, with significant respiratory flow variation. A thoracic CT scan and cardiac MRI confirmed the presence of pericardial thickening and calcifications. The patient underwent beat-heart pericardial decortication. The anatomopathological examination of the surgical piece revealed Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The postoperative check-up after 6 months showed good clinical and echocardiographic evolution.