All issues > Volume 10(2); 1967

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1967;10(2):107-110. Published online February 28, 1967.

Chronic Constrictive Pericarditis(A case report and Review of Literature)

Kyong Su Lee¹, Jung Hee Bae¹, Hae Sun Yoon¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Catholic Medical College Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

This paper presents a 13-year-old Korean boy who has chronic constrictive pericarditis. Clinical features simulating cirrhosis of liver and nephrotic syndrome, such as generalized edema, marked ascites and hepatomegaly were noted since January this year. His chest X-Ray films showed neither enlarged heart nor calcified area of pericardium, but the characteristic weak cardiac pulsation was revealed by cardiac fluoroscopy. Electrocardiogram was characterized by generalized low voltage, flatten T-waves and elevated S-T segments through all leads. Venous pressure was 300 mmH2O, blood pressure was 100/80 mmHg and circulation time, both in arm-to-tongue and arm-to-lung, were 8 sec. (10 % Mag. sul.) and 5 sec. (Ether and Saline) respectively. Pericardiectomy was performed on June 30, this year, 15 days later the venous pressure decreased to 200 mmH2O. Histologic changes of pericardium showed scattered chronic granulomatous inflammation with occasional multinucleated giant cells.

Keywords :