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GMS Hygiene and Infection Control 2024Non-specific chronic constrictive pericarditis is a rare and debilitating chronic infection in developed countries and its rapid diagnosis and treatment has not affected...
Non-specific chronic constrictive pericarditis is a rare and debilitating chronic infection in developed countries and its rapid diagnosis and treatment has not affected its outcome and complication. A 15-year-old male, well nourished, negative HIV test, and without a history of previous pulmonary tuberculosis, was admitted to our hospital for exertional dyspnea (New York Heart Association, NYHA, functional class II). Our patient had had no pulmonary tuberculosis during childhood, had received anti-tuberculosis treatment, and was referred to our center for further surgical pericardiectomy.
PubMed: 38505096
DOI: 10.3205/dgkh000463 -
Journal of Thoracic Disease Feb 2024Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after cardiac surgery is associated with elevated morbidity and mortality. Although current prediction models have limited... (Review)
Review
Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after cardiac surgery is associated with elevated morbidity and mortality. Although current prediction models have limited efficacy, several perioperative interventions can reduce patients' risk of POAF. These begin with preoperative medications, including beta-blockers and amiodarone. Moreover, patients should be screened for preexisting atrial fibrillation (AF) so that concomitant surgical ablation and left atrial appendage occlusion can be performed in appropriate candidates. Intraoperative interventions such as posterior pericardiectomy can reduce mediastinal fluid accumulation, which is a trigger for POAF. Furthermore, many preventive strategies for POAF are implemented in the immediate postoperative period. Initiating beta-blockers, amiodarone, or both is reasonable for most patients. Overdrive atrial pacing, colchicine, and steroids have been used by some, although the evidence base is less robust. For patients with POAF, rate-control and rhythm-control strategies have comparable outcomes. Decision-making regarding anticoagulation should recognize that the stroke risk associated with POAF appears to be lower than that for general nonvalvular AF. The evidence that oral anticoagulation reduces stroke risk is less clear for POAF patients than for patients with general nonvalvular AF. Given that POAF tends to be shorter-lived and is associated with greater bleeding risks in the perioperative period, decisions regarding anticoagulation should be individualized. Finally, wearable technology and machine learning algorithms for better predicting and managing POAF appear to be coming soon. These technologies and a comprehensive clinical program could meaningfully reduce the incidence of this common complication.
PubMed: 38505057
DOI: 10.21037/jtd-23-1626 -
Journal of Thoracic Disease Feb 2024The diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of early postoperative constrictive pericarditis (EPCP) have not been discussed in depth. The objective of this study was to...
BACKGROUND
The diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of early postoperative constrictive pericarditis (EPCP) have not been discussed in depth. The objective of this study was to devise and propose a management strategy for EPCP.
METHODS
In this study, constrictive pericarditis (CP) within 6 months after cardiac surgery was defined as EPCP, and patients were divided into two groups based on intraoperative findings: a parietal thickening group and a visceral thickening group.
RESULTS
A total of 20 patients were included in this study, and the incidence rate of recurrent pericardiectomy was 0.32% among all patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. EPCP after valve surgery occurred in 85.0% of patients. Pleural effusion was the most common preoperative symptom, occurring in 90% of patients. Pericardial thickening occurred in the visceral layer in seven cases and in the parietal layer in 13 cases. There were no differences in comorbidities, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) between the two groups. Most patients with visceral thickening (83.3%) needed cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) assistance during surgery and had a longer hospital stay than those with parietal thickening (52.8±21.8 34.9±13.8 days, P=0.049). Central venous pressure (CVP) was decreased in all patients after pericardiectomy (24.9±6.96 8.9±2.92 cmHO, P<0.001), and the cardiac function improved significantly in patients with parietal thickening [New York Heart Association (NYHA) grade ≥ III accounted for 28.6% of patients]. The long-term survival rate of patients with parietal thickening was 92.3% and that of patients with visceral thickening was 57.1%, and there was no significant difference between them (P=0.056).
CONCLUSIONS
Recurrent episodes of chest tightness, pleural effusion, and elevated CVP within 6 months after cardiac surgery should be considered highly suggestive of EPCP. There are few points of difference between pericarditis with thickening of the parietal and visceral layers. After failure of conservative medical treatment, pericardiectomy results in significant improvements in cardiac function and quality of life, especially in patients with thickening of the parietal layer.
PubMed: 38505028
DOI: 10.21037/jtd-23-1186 -
CASE (Philadelphia, Pa.) Feb 2024• Migrating grass awns should be a differential diagnosis for pericardial effusion. • Pericardial FBs can result in life-threatening pericarditis and epicarditis....
• Migrating grass awns should be a differential diagnosis for pericardial effusion. • Pericardial FBs can result in life-threatening pericarditis and epicarditis. • TTE can be used to diagnose a pericardial FB. • On TTE, absent RAu with pericardial effusion should cause suspicion of epicarditis. • Subtotal pericardiectomy can be curative for pericardial FBs.
PubMed: 38425571
DOI: 10.1016/j.case.2023.11.002 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2024Primary pericardial angiosarcoma is a rare malignancy of the pericardium with variable clinical features and imaging characteristics. Herein, we report a case of...
Primary pericardial angiosarcoma is a rare malignancy of the pericardium with variable clinical features and imaging characteristics. Herein, we report a case of histopathologically confirmed pericardial angiosarcoma in a 66-year-old man. The patient developed cardiac tamponade in a short time period. The transthoracic echocardiography showed the presence of multiple irregular echodensities, heterogeneous in echogenicity, encasing the apex of both ventricles in the pericardial space, initially misinterpreted as pericardial effusion. The patient died of cardiogenic shock despite undergoing a surgical pericardiectomy. Pericardial angiosarcoma can manifest as a mass obliterating the pericardial sac, rather than the typical pericardial effusion observed on echocardiography. Multimodality imaging studies aid in diagnosing primary pericardial angiosarcoma, but the final diagnosis relies on tissue histopathology.
PubMed: 38414922
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1344975 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2024Tuberculous pericarditis (TBP) is an important cause of pericarditis worldwide while being infrequent in childhood, especially in low-TB-incidence countries. We report a... (Review)
Review
Tuberculous pericarditis (TBP) is an important cause of pericarditis worldwide while being infrequent in childhood, especially in low-TB-incidence countries. We report a case of TBP and provide a systematic review of the literature, conducted by searching PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane to find cases of TBP in pediatric age published in the English language between the year 1990 and the time of the search. Of the 587 search results obtained, after screening and a backward citation search, 45 studies were selected to be included in this review, accounting for a total of 125 patients. The main signs and symptoms were fever, cough, weight loss, hepatomegaly, dyspnea, and increased jugular venous pressure or jugular vein turgor. A definitive diagnosis of TBP was made in 36 patients, either thanks to microbiological investigations, histological analysis, or both. First-line antitubercular treatment (ATT) was administered in nearly all cases, and 69 children underwent surgical procedures. Only six patients died, and only two died of TBP. TBP in childhood is relatively uncommon, even in high-TB-prevalence countries. Clinical manifestations, often suggestive of right-sided cardiac failure, are subtle, and diagnosis is challenging. TBP has an excellent prognosis in childhood; however, in a significant proportion of cases, invasive surgical procedures are necessary.
PubMed: 38392848
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020110 -
Cureus Jan 2024This paper reports on the unlikely case of a 68-year-old man presenting with a non-resolving, mild lower respiratory tract infection, subsequently diagnosed with...
Pericardial Tuberculosis in a Non-endemic Region Presenting as a Persistent Upper Respiratory Tract Infection With Negative Serology, Bronchial Washings, and Pleural Aspirate.
This paper reports on the unlikely case of a 68-year-old man presenting with a non-resolving, mild lower respiratory tract infection, subsequently diagnosed with pericardial tuberculosis (TB) in the absence of TB risk factors and with negative TB serology. Pericardial and pleural effusions were found incidentally on CT pulmonary angiogram, with a small pericardial effusion without tamponade seen on the echocardiogram. During his three-month inpatient stay, the patient was rarely very unwell, though no treatment led to clinical and biochemical resolution of symptoms. Later deterioration prompted another echocardiogram, which found a moderate-sized pericardial effusion, septal bounce, and new regional wall motion abnormalities. To avert the impending cardiac tamponade, the patient underwent pericardiectomy, which provided a tissue diagnosis of TB. Pericardial TB is extremely uncommon, especially outside of TB endemic regions, though it is well described. This case is especially noteworthy, as serology, bronchial washings, and pleural aspirate had been negative for TB though a Quantiferon test was positive. The diagnosis was only confirmed after pericardiectomy. The patient was subsequently treated with anti-TB therapy, with a good clinical response. This case highlights diagnostic challenges and strategies for investigating and managing similar complex scenarios, particularly in non-endemic settings.
PubMed: 38352104
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52227 -
Vascular Health and Risk Management 2024We aim to access the effect of pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis with or without cardiopulmonary bypass. (Review)
Review
AIM
We aim to access the effect of pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis with or without cardiopulmonary bypass.
METHODS
This was a review of pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis.
RESULTS
Cardiopulmonary bypass is actually an important maneuver to attain complete relief of the constriction. The short additional time of cardiopulmonary bypass during the procedure has very little effect on the risk of morbidity of the main operation.
CONCLUSION
Incomplete pericardiectomy perhaps was the cause of postoperative remnant constriction and high diastolic filling pressure leading to multiorgan failure. Complete pericardiectomy (removal of phrenic-to-phrenic and the postero-lateral and inferior wall pericardial thickening) using cardiopulmonary bypass should be the routine for total relief of the constriction of the heart.
Topics: Humans; Pericarditis, Constrictive; Pericardiectomy; Cardiopulmonary Bypass; Postoperative Complications
PubMed: 38348404
DOI: 10.2147/VHRM.S439292 -
Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery Feb 2024To investigate the relationship between p wave terminal force (Ptfv1) and pericardial thickness in patients with tuberculous constrictive pericarditis.
AIM
To investigate the relationship between p wave terminal force (Ptfv1) and pericardial thickness in patients with tuberculous constrictive pericarditis.
METHODS
From January 2018 to October 2022, 95 patients with tuberculous constrictive pericarditis who needed pericarditis dissection in a hospital were collected, and 3 patients who did not meet the criteria were excluded, a total of 92 cases. The absolute value of Ptfv1 in conventional electrocardiogram was tested before surgery, and pericardial thickness was measured by echocardiography and chest CT. Pericardial thickness was measured after pericardial dissection. Pearson correlation analysis was used, R software was used to make scatter plot, and non-parametric square test was used. The correlation of postoperative measurements with echocardiography, chest CT and absolute value of Ptfv1 was analyzed.
RESULTS
Pearson correlation analysis was conducted with postoperative measurements and echocardiography measurements, postoperative measurements and chest CT measurements, and postoperative measurements and absolute value of Ptfv1. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficients between postoperative measurements and echocardiography, chest CT and Ptfv1 values were statistically significant. Scatter plot and nonparametric Chi-square test showed that postoperative measurements were consistent with absolute values of echocardiography, chest CT and Ptfv1 (p < 0.05). And this study found that the distribution of the value of Ptfv1 ≥ 5 was higher than the value of Ptfv1 < 5 after pericardiectomy (0.95:0.05) in the absolute value of Ptfv1 ≥ 0.04 which measured before pericardiectomy. The hypothesis was statistically significant (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
The absolute value of Ptfv1 in electrocardiogram can be used as an auxiliary diagnostic index to evaluate pericardial thickness in tuberculous constrictive pericarditis.
Topics: Humans; Pericarditis, Constrictive; Pericardium; Pericarditis, Tuberculous; Echocardiography; Electrocardiography; Pericardiectomy
PubMed: 38347560
DOI: 10.1186/s13019-024-02526-z -
European Heart Journal. Case Reports Feb 2024Constrictive pericarditis is a rare complication of pericarditis and is difficult to diagnose due to non-specific presentation. It mostly presents with right-sided heart...
BACKGROUND
Constrictive pericarditis is a rare complication of pericarditis and is difficult to diagnose due to non-specific presentation. It mostly presents with right-sided heart failure as a consequence of a rigid pericardium that encases the heart causing impaired diastolic filling.
CASE SUMMARY
We present the case of a patient with signs and symptoms of dyspnoea and right-sided heart failure who was initially diagnosed with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) but remained symptomatic despite being euvolaemic after treatment. A septal bounce and shudder on echocardiogram prompted further investigation. Eventually, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and invasive biventricular pressure measurements led to the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis. A pericardiectomy was performed after which the patient was relieved of symptoms.
DISCUSSION
Constrictive pericarditis can mimic HFpEF. Due to its potentially curable character, timely recognition is of cardinal importance. In patients with symptoms of severe right-sided heart failure not resolving after diuretic therapy, a septal shudder on echocardiography should trigger further investigation, with e.g. CMR and cardiac catheterization.
PubMed: 38344416
DOI: 10.1093/ehjcr/ytae053