FALSE-POSITIVE EXERCISE TEST DUE TO CONSTRICTIVE PERICARDITIS

Constrictive pericarditis is a unique disease entity characterized by a rigid nondistended pericardium associated with hemodynamic impairmen t of diastolic expansion of the ventricles. A patient, who has typical findings consistent with constrictive pericarditis, has shown markedl y abnormal ischemic changes on electrocardiography on exercise testing but completely normal coronary anatomy. This finding, which has not b een described in the literature, would suggest that the diastolic impa irment of ventricular expansion could be another mechanism of false-po sitive exercise testing. The importance of pericardium should be empha sized in pathophysiology of ischemic electrocardiographic changes duri ng the exercise.