Constrictive pericarditis history and symptoms

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Huda A. Karman, M.D.

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 of chronic constrictive pericarditis include:^[1]

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

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