Constrictive pericarditis is a disease that appears when fibrous tissue, similar to a scar, develops around the heart and may decrease its size and function.
Calcifications may also occur, causing increased pressure in the veins that carry blood to the heart, causing the fluid to not enter the heart and eventually accumulate at the periphery of the body, causing swelling in the abdomen and feet.
Symptoms of Constrictive Pericarditis
The symptoms of constrictive pericarditis are as follows:
- Swelling distributed throughout the skin or anasarca;
- Increase in the size of the veins of the neck;
- Abdominal distention due to swelling;
- Swelling in the legs and ankles;
- Difficulty breathing;
- Tiredness;
- Lack of appetite and weight loss;
- Difficulty of digestion.
Causes of Constrictive Pericarditis
The causes of constrictive pericarditis are usually unknown but may be a consequence of:
- Diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus;
- Previous wound;
- Surgery in the heart;
- Bacterial infection;
- tuberculosis (main cause in developing countries);
- radiation of the mediastinum;
- neoplasms;
- trauma;
- drugs.
Diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis
The diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis is made through:
- Physical exam;
- Rx thorax;
- Electrocardiogram;
- Echocardiography;
- Computed tomography;
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
To confirm the diagnosis, a hemodynamic study can be performed, which is a type of cardiac catheterization with the objective of evaluating the general conditions of the heart.
Treatment for constrictive pericarditis
Treatment for constrictive pericarditis should be done by taking the following remedies:
- Antituberculosis Remedies: should be started before surgery and maintained for 1 year;
- Medications that improve heart function;
- Diuretics: help reduce excess fluid;
- anti-inflammatories and colchicine may help;
- Surgery to remove the pericardium: especially in cases associated with other heart diseases such as heart failure .--> definitive treatment in chronic cases.
It is important to note that surgery should not be delayed, since patients with great limitations in the function of the heart may be at greater risk of death and the benefit of surgery is lower.
