A review of the literature on primary cardiac amyloidosis is presented. Its differentiation from constrictive pericarditis, both on clinical and haemodynamic grounds, is outlined. The importance of antemortem endomyocardial biopsy in establishing a definitive diagnosis of this relatively rare condition is stressed. Finally, an updated overview of the classification and immunological pathogenesi...

Historical Aspects The reduction in pulse volume during inspiration was first described by Lomer in 1669 in constrictive pericarditis1. A similar finding was described by Floyer and later by William in 1850 in bronchial asthma1. Adolf Kussmaul (Freiberg, Germany) coined the term “pulsus paradoxus” in 1873 in three patients with constrictive pericarditis. The “paradox” was: (1) the discrepancy b...

BACKGROUND Camptodactyly-arthropathy-coxa vara-pericarditis (CACP, OMIM: #208250) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disease that can be difficult to recognise not only because of its wide clinical variability but also because of its clinical resemblance to juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). PRG4 is the only gene so far known to be associated with CACP syndrome. Children with CACP syndrom...

Constrictive pericarditis (CP) is commonly a symmetrical pathological process from scarring, fibrosis and thickening involving the parietal and visceral pericardial layers; due to its compressive phenomenon on the cardiac chambers, CP results in diastolic dysfunction [1-9]. Although CP is regarded as a chronic process, some patients may develop mild pericardial constriction which may resolve sp...

e s a d p w a o As previously described, bleeding into the pericardium after a blunt chest trauma can initiate a process of inflammation, calcification and scarring that can eventually result in constrictive pericarditis. We present the case of a 36-year-old man who was referred to our hospital from another institution for cardiac MRI study with echocardiographic suspicion of constrictive peric...

introduction heart failure is the second most common cause of ascites after cirrhosis. there are cardiac and noncardiac etiologies of ascites, and the multimodality imaging approach is a rich tool to redefine the final diagnosis. case presentation we present a case-series where 3 patients were referred to our hospital for further hepatology assessment due to severe abdominal ascites and liver f...

The number of disorders attributable to asbestos exposure has increased gradually over the years. The latest to be recorded is pericardial effusion and constrictive pericarditis, and three cases are reported here. A man with bilateral pleural thickening and plaques developed acute pericarditis and an effusion and was treated by pericardiectomy. Two men died from constrictive pericarditis associ...

Constrictive pericarditis is a clinical condition characterized by the appearance of signs and symptoms of right heart failure due to loss of pericardial compliance. Cardiac surgery is now one of the most frequent causes in developed countries, while tuberculosis remains the most prevalent cause in developing countries. Malignancy is a rare cause but usually has a poor prognosis. The diagnosis ...