Constrictive endocarditis. Report of a case with successful surgery.

An 18-year old white youth presented with severe right heart failure and was found to have an obliterated and funnel-shaped right ventricle, massive tricuspid regurgitation, and mitral regurgitation. The haemodynamic findings were those of cardiomyopathy with obliteration on the right side. He underwent surgery consisting of decortication and peeling off of a thickened right ventricular endocardium, tricuspid valve replacement, and mitral valve repair. After surgery there was pronounced haemodynamic as well as clinical improvement. The pathological picture was that of constrictive endocarditis. We recommend this method of treatment for patients with obliterate cardiomyopathy on either side of the heart.