Calcific pericarditis strangling the heart, an answer to unexplained heart failurediagnostic modalities

Abstract

Pericardial calcification is often found incidentally fromimaging studies and may be a clue to constrictivepericarditis. Constrictive pericarditis often mimics othercauses of heart failure, pulmonary, or liver disease,making it hard to diagnose. Tuberculosis is the mostcommon infectious aetiology of Constrictive Pericarditis.Living in developing countries, such as Indonesia, shouldwarn us of the possibility of tuberculous constrictivepericarditis as a differential diagnosis of unexplainedheart failure. The presented case came with complaints ofshortness of breath, especially on exertion for five years,which worsened in the last 6 months. The past history ofpulmonary Tuberculosis with the Cardiac CT findingsconfirmed the diagnosis of Constrictive Pericarditis.Keywords: Pericarditis, Tuberculous, Heart Failure, LiverDiseases