PERICARDIAL COLOR DOPPLER FLOW IN POSTPERICARDIOTOMY EFFUSIVE CONSTRICTIVE PERICARDITIS

A laminar color Doppler flow was discovered in the pericardial space i n a 35-year-old man with postpericardiotomy effusive constrictive peri carditis. The flow was detected by transesophageal color Doppler echoc ardiography. A further pulsed Doppler study revealed a to-and-fro flow , which was synchronized with the cardiac rhythm. We hypothesized that this flow was generated by the rhythmic cardiac contraction. It was t hen augmented by hard fibrous pericardium and became detectable by col or Doppler echocardiography. Pericardial effusion is a frequent echoca rdiographic finding but little attention has been paid to the flow in it. The laminar flow in the pericardial space in our patient is relate d to his hard pericardium and can aid in making the diagnosis of effus ive constrictive pericarditis. We suggest that flow in the pericardial space deserves more attention and may provide valuable diagnostic aid .