Constrictive pericarditis history and symptoms

Template:Pericardial constriction Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

History

The clinical history of pericardial constriction cannot be solely used to make a diagnosis due to the multiple symptoms this disease presents. The symptoms may not be recognizable to the patients considering they develop slowly and over time. The early symptoms of pericardial constriction are often more consistent with liver disease and the patient may be erroneously referred for imaging studies of the liver.

Symptoms

Symptoms of chronic constrictive pericarditis include:

• Diffculty breathing (dyspnea) that develops slowly and worsens (most common)
• Orthopnea
• Fatigue, excessive tiredness
• Exercise intolerance
• Long-term swelling (edema) of the legs and ankles
• Weakness
• Nausea
• Hepatic congestion
• Liver failure
• Bowel congestion
• Ascites
• Abdominal swelling and discomfort
• Anasarca or swelling of much of the body
• Renal failure due to reduced cardiac output

Sources

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001103.htm