Constrictive pericarditis differential diagnosis

Template:Pericardial constriction Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Constrictive pericarditis must be differentiated from restrictive cardiomyopathy. The presence of hemodynamic interdependence among patients with constrictive pericarditis is the best objective method to distinguish the two syndromes.

Complete Differential Diagnosis

In many cases, constrictive pericarditis is a late sequela of an inflammatory condition of the pericardium. The inflammatory condition is usually an infection that involves the pericardium, but it may be after a heart attack or after heart surgery.

Almost half the cases of constrictive pericarditis in the developing world are idiopathic in origin. In regions where tuberculosis is common, it is the cause in a large portion of cases.

Several conditions produce signs and symptoms that are similar to those generated by pericarditis, including life threatening conditions such as myocardial infarction, aortic dissection and pulmonary embolism. The conditions with similar symptoms to constrictive pericarditis include:

• Amyloidosis
• Atrial Myxoma
• Cardiac Cirrhosis
• Cardiac Neoplasms, Primary
• Caridac Sarcoma
• Cardiac Tamponade
• Cardiomyopathy, Dilated
• Cardiomayopathy, Restrictive
• Hemochromatosis
• Nephrotic Syndrome
• Ovarian Cancer
• Pericardial Effusion
• Pericarditis, Acute
• Pericarditis, Constrictive-Effusive
• Pericarditis, Uremic
• Sarcoidosis
• Superior Vena Cava Syndrome
• Tricuspid Regurgitation
• Tricuspid Stenosis
• Uremia