RAPIDLY DEVELOPING CONSTRICTIVE PERICARDITIS IN AN INFANT SIMULATING MITRAL VALVE OBSTRUCTION

A case is reported of rapidly developing constrictive pericarditis in a 9-month-old infant, apparently the youngest yet described. Unusual features of this case were the failure of the heart size to decrease as expected, and electrocardiographic, roentgenographic, angiocardiographic and hemodynamic data, which indicated “mitral valve obstruction”. These unusual features resulted from the peculiar location of the pericardial constriction over the left ventricle, which took the form of a pericardial cyst hampering left atrial emptying.