Non-tuberculous Constrictive Pericarditis

Chronic pericardial constriction with effusion in childhood.

“…This is not generally a feature of tuberculous constrictive pericarditis, but is in keeping with the findings of Harrold (1968) in 3 adults with nontuberculous pericardial constriction. Cayler et al (1963) found moderately large pericardial effusions in their patients, but each one presented during the course of acute pericarditis.…”

“…This is not generally a feature of tuberculous constrictive pericarditis, but is in keeping with the findings of Harrold (1968) Pastor and Cahn (1960). Case 5 was initially diagnosed as having protein-losing enteropathy and this too has been reported as a complication of pericardial constriction (Plauth et al, 1964).…”

Clinical features of non-tuberculous constrictive pericarditis

“…Gibson (1959) described a syndrome termed 'atypical constrictive pericarditis' in which very severe cardiac constriction was present despite the absence of third heart sounds. In other reports of non-tuberculous pericarditis, it was present in two cases of post- Coxsackie constrictive pericarditis (Howard and Maier, 1968;Matthews et al, 1970) but absent in four cases of non-specific constrictive pericarditis (Robertson and Arnold, 1965;Harrold, 1968). The lack of this sound in three of our cases indicates that it may be a particularly unreliable physical sign in constrictive pericarditis of non-tuberculous aetiology.…”

“…Several papers have reported the progression of acute idiopathic and acute viral pericarditis to constrictive pericarditis, and this is now widely accepted (Krook, 1954;Rabiner, Specter, Ripstein, and Schlecker, 1954;Connolly and Burchell, 1961;Robertson andArnold, 1962, 1965;Gibbons, Goldbloom, and Dobell, 1965;Harrold, 1968;Howard and Maier, 1968;Matthews, Cameron and George, 1970).…”

Constrictive pericarditis: lessons from the past five years’ experience in the South West Cardiothoracic Centre

“…3 In 1968, Harrold reported only the twelfth case of pericardial constriction consequent upon acute benign pericarditis. 4 It is now clear that constrictive pericarditis can follow any cause of acute pericarditis and that tuberculosis is relatively uncommon. The aetiology, however, does vary from series to series.…”