CONSTRICTIVE PERICARDITIS - AN UNDERESTIM ATED COMPLICATION OF CHEST TRAUMA

Constrictive pericarditis is a well defined clinical entity, tradition ally secondary to longstanding tuberculosis. Although posttraumatic co nstrictive pericarditis, due to haemopericardium, is well known during the postoperative period following cardiac surgery, it is underestima ted in closed chest trauma. A new case of constrictive pericarditis is reported, due to neglected chest trauma. The discussion emphasizes th e need for early diagnosis and surgical treatment, which determine the general prognosis of pericardial constriction. This implies systemati c investigation of all cases of chest trauma, even minor, by transthor acic, or preferable, transoesophageal echocardiography, looking for ha emopericardium.