Constrictive Pericarditis Presenting as Isolated Ascites |
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| Authors: | Ammar A Hasnie Neal J Miller James Davies Gregory Von Mering |
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| Institution: | aDepartment of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA;bDivision of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233 USA;cDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233 USA |
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| Abstract: | Constrictive pericarditis is a rare cause of right-sided heart failure secondary to a stiff, non-compliant pericardium. Clinical presentation can vary considerably and requires a high suspicion for diagnosis. A 31-year-old male presented to the emergency department with complaints of abdominal distension. An abdominal ultrasound revealed large volume ascites; thus, it was initially suspected he had underlying cirrhosis. However, an echocardiogram revealed a diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis. It''s important for clinicians to consider constrictive pericarditis in a patient presenting with unexplained right-sided heart failure. |
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| Keywords: | Echocardiography Cardiac MRI Pericardial Diseases |
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