Constrictive pericarditis
Right heart failure from a stiff pericardium, its signs, telling it from restrictive cardiomyopathy and tamponade, the Mayo echo criteria, transient constriction and pericardiectomy.
Tier 2Condition
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- A thickened, scarred or calcified pericardium limits diastolic filling. Early filling is rapid, then stops abruptly.
- Presents as right heart failure out of proportion to LV function: raised JVP, hepatomegaly, ascites and oedema.
- Often misdiagnosed as liver disease for months.
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Sources
- Schulz-Menger J, Collini V, Gröschel J et al. 2025 ESC Guidelines for the management of myocarditis and pericarditis. Eur Heart J 2025;46(40):3952-4041. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf192European Society of Cardiology, 2025
- Insights into the 2025 ESC guidelines for the management of myocarditis and pericarditis. Rev Esp Cardiol Engl Ed 2026;79(3):194-198Revista Española de Cardiología, 2026
- Welch TD, Ling LH, Espinosa RE et al. Echocardiographic diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis: Mayo Clinic criteria. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging 2014;7:526-34Circulation Cardiovascular Imaging, 2014
- Mayosi BM, Ntsekhe M, Bosch J et al. Prednisolone and Mycobacterium indicus pranii in tuberculous pericarditis (IMPI). N Engl J Med 2014;371:1121-30New England Journal of Medicine, 2014
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
- 14 November 2026 Personal emails, About story and Australian-style copy