Pulmonary stenosis due to external compression by a pericardial band.

Extrinsic compression of the outflow tract of the right ventricle by a pericardial band has been described by Mounsey (1959) and later reported by other authors (McGaff et al., 1963; Portal et al., 1966; Weglicki et al., 1965). All, except the case presented by Weglicki et al., were patients who had undergone partial pericardiectomy some years before for constrictive pericarditis. This report presents a similar case in which surgical resection of the constrictive pericardial band abolished the previous gradient between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery.