Alsomali, N., Alsomali, A., Turi, A., Eyjolfsson, A. (2019). Pericardiectomy for Managing Constrictive Pericarditis. A Case Report of A 30-Years-Old Saudi Female. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 74(5), 1174-1179. doi: 10.21608/ejhm.2019.26597
Nora Alsomali; Afrah Alsomali; Aftab Turi; Atli Eyjolfsson. "Pericardiectomy for Managing Constrictive Pericarditis. A Case Report of A 30-Years-Old Saudi Female". The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 74, 5, 2019, 1174-1179. doi: 10.21608/ejhm.2019.26597
Alsomali, N., Alsomali, A., Turi, A., Eyjolfsson, A. (2019). 'Pericardiectomy for Managing Constrictive Pericarditis. A Case Report of A 30-Years-Old Saudi Female', The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 74(5), pp. 1174-1179. doi: 10.21608/ejhm.2019.26597
Alsomali, N., Alsomali, A., Turi, A., Eyjolfsson, A. Pericardiectomy for Managing Constrictive Pericarditis. A Case Report of A 30-Years-Old Saudi Female. The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 2019; 74(5): 1174-1179. doi: 10.21608/ejhm.2019.26597
Pericardiectomy for Managing Constrictive Pericarditis. A Case Report of A 30-Years-Old Saudi Female
2King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research center
Abstract
Background: constrictive pericarditis (CP)is the final stage of a chronic inflammatory process that leads to the thickening and calcification of the heart’s pericardium, restricting its natural elasticity and diastolic filling. CP has nonspecific symptoms; hence, requires a high index of suspicion and complete investigations. Aim of the work: this is a case of a young Saudi female presented with a 3 years history of shortness of breath associated with abdominal distention. Patient and Methods: multimodal imaging, lab workup and cardiac catheterization were done to confirm the diagnosis of CP. Results: the patient was managed by total pericardiectomy; during which her calcification was found to be encasing the heart at its length dimension and invading deeply into the myocardium. The patient experienced complicated postoperative course; however, now is doing fine. Conclusion: to our knowledge there are no similar cases reported in the literature from Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the aim of this case was to highlight the importance of early diagnosis and management of CP for better prognosis.