[Etiological diagnosis of the patients with pericarditis after pericardiectomy].

OBJECTIVE

To explore the etiological diagnosis of the patients with pericarditis after pericardiectomy to improve the clinical diagnosis.

METHODS

The clinical and pathological data of 52 patients with pericarditis after pericardiectomy were a retrospective analyzed.

RESULTS

Fourteen cases (26.9%) were tuberculous, 4 cases (7.7%) were cancerous and 34 cases presented as non-idiopathic changes. Of the non-idiopathic cases, 2 cases were traumatic pericarditis and 1 case was related to radiation, the cause of the other patients were of unknown. Compared with non-idiopathic group, the patients in tuberculous group had a shorter course (P < 0.01). The histories of fever, acute pericarditis, pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade were more frequent in the tuberculous group than in the non-idiopathic group (P < 0.01-0.05). Four patients with cancerous pericarditis were all refractory pericardial effusion.

CONCLUSION

Most of constrictive pericarditis are of unknown cause, but in known causes tuberculosis has a high incidence. Refractory pericardial effusion is often seen in patients with malignant tumor.