CHRONIC CONSTRICTIVE PERICARDITIS AFTER HEART-SURGERY - A CASE-HISTORY

A case of pericarditis in a 52-year old patient following aorto-corona ry shunt surgery is reported which gradually developed into chronic co nstrictive pericarditis. In this context, the diagnostic criteria of c hronic constrictive pericarditis are recalled. The clinical criteria s how little specificity; Doppler ultrasound provides good diagnostic in formation; CT scans and nuclear magnetic imaging can confirm the diagn ostic. The post-heart surgery etiology has increased in recent years. The only real treatment is surgical and consists of pericardial decort ication.