Constrictive pericarditis - Early experience in 12 patients in light of modern Cardiology

The last several decades have witnessed major advances in the understanding and management of constrictive pericarditis. The aim of the present study was to compare the diagnosis, treatment and outcome of constrictive pericar ditis of 40 years ago to today. The study population consisted of 12 patien ts with a diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis who presented at the Insti tute of Cardiology of Beilinson Hospital, from 1961 to 1970. Their main phy sical findings, electrocardiographic and chest X-ray changes, and hemodynam ic study results are discussed in relation to the surgical outcome of patie nts with constrictive pericarditis today. New noninvasive imaging modalitie s, such as M mode, two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography, computed t omography end magnetic resonance imaging are presented, and their advantage s and disadvantages in the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis and its d ifferentiation from restrictive cardiomyopathy are explained.