Occult malignancy presenting as constrictive pericarditis

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2011 Jun;12(6):1046-7. doi: 10.1510/icvts.2011.266494. Epub 2011 Mar 21.

Abstract

Metastatic tumour progression to the pericardium is generally characterised by an effusional pericarditis. It is extremely rare for tumour to metastasise to the pericardium and cause constrictive pericarditis in the absence of a pericardial effusion. We report the recent case of a patient who was referred to our centre with constrictive pericarditis. Following pericardectomy and histopathological analysis this was found to be secondary to an occult metastatic adenocarcinoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / complications*
  • Adenocarcinoma / secondary
  • Adenocarcinoma / surgery
  • Adult
  • Biopsy
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Heart Neoplasms / complications*
  • Heart Neoplasms / secondary
  • Heart Neoplasms / surgery
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Pericardiectomy
  • Pericarditis, Constrictive / etiology*
  • Pericarditis, Constrictive / pathology
  • Pericarditis, Constrictive / surgery
  • Pericardium / pathology*
  • Pericardium / surgery
  • Treatment Outcome