ABSTRACT

Constrictive pericarditis is a well-known but unusual and rare cause of ascites. The diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis in most patients who have chronic ascites is challenging. We aimed to present a patient with constrictive pericarditis with chronic ascites and pericardial calcifications seen in chest radiography.

A 66-year-old male patient presented to the emergency room of Trakya University School of Medicine. The patient had abdominal swelling and ascites for the last 5 years and underwent large-volume paracentesis in his previous emergency admissions. After the electrocardiography of the patient, he was directed to the cardiology department for further examinations. The chest radiography revealed significant pericardial calcifications. Following imaging procedures confirmed radiological findings, and the patient was diagnosed with constrictive pericarditis. Furthermore, his cardiac catheterization findings were consistent with constrictive pericarditis. The patient was recommended to have a pericardiectomy operation and there was a significant reduction in the patient's symptoms after surgery.

The absence of specific symptoms and resemblances of existing symptoms to liver disease make the early diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis difficult. Physicians should consider constrictive pericarditis as a differential diagnosis when dealing with a patient who has chronic ascites.

Keywords: Constrictive pericarditis, ascites, pericardial disease