[Clinical and pathological characteristics of constrictive pericarditis in China].

Objective: To summarize the clinical and pathological characteristics of constrictive pericarditis in China.

Method: Data from 150 patients with constrictive pericarditis who admitted to our hospital from 2000 to 2007 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Constriction pericarditis was detected by echocardiography in 149 out of 150 patients. Pericardial effusion was evidenced in 59.3% patients (89/150). The diagnostic accuracy rate for identifying constrictive pericarditis by echocardiography (98.7%, 107/109) was comparable to that of surgical diagnosis (100%, 109/109). Tuberculosis was the main cause of constrictive pericarditis in this cohort (78.7%, 118/150) including 25 (16.7%) cases with pathological or etiological evidences of tubercular pericarditis, 8 (5.3%) cases with pathologically active tuberculous focus elsewhere in the body, 66 (44.0%) cases with typical clinical tuberculosis manifestation and responded to anti-tubercular therapy and 19 (12.7%) cases with a diagnosis of suspicious tuberculosis. Pericardiectomy was performed in 108 cases and pericardial biopsy and surgical drainage was performed in 1 patient. In hospital death rate was 8.7% (13/150, 4 tubercular patients and 9 non-tubercular).

Conclusion: Tuberculosis is the leading cause of constrictive pericarditis in this cohort and the best diagnosis tool is echocardiography other than pathological and etiological findings in pericardium.