Imaging Features of Constrictive Pericarditis: Beyond Pericardial Thickening

Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal - Tập 60 - Trang 40-46 - 2009
Giuseppe Napolitano1, Josephine Pressacco1, Eleonore Paquet1
1Department of Radiology, Montreal Heart Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Tóm tắt

Constrictive pericarditis is caused by adhesions between the visceral and parietal layers of the pericardium and progressive pericardial fibrosis that restricts diastolic filling of the heart. Later on, the thickened pericardium may calcify. Despite a better understanding of the pathophysiologic basis of the imaging findings in constrictive pericarditis and the recent advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, which has dramatically improved the visualization of the pericardium, the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis remains a challenge in many cases. In patients with clinical suspicion of underlying constrictive pericarditis, the most important radiologic diagnostic feature is abnormal pericardial thickening, which can be shown readily by computed tomography (CT) and especially by MRI, and is highly suggestive of constrictive pericarditis. Nevertheless, a thickened pericardium does not always indicate constrictive pericarditis. Furthermore, constrictive pericarditis can occur without pericardial thickening.

Tài liệu tham khảo

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Thông tin xuất bản

Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal

Tập 60

40-46

Thông tin tác giả