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Tuberculous pericarditis electrocardiogram

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Fahimeh Shojaei, M.D., Varun Kumar, M.B.B.S.; Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.

Overview

Overview

An ECG may be helpful in the diagnosis of tuberculous pericarditis. Findings on an ECG suggestive of tuberculous pericarditis include low voltage QRS, absence of ST segment elevation which we usually see in acute pericarditis, inverted T wave, atrial fibrillation, and electrical alternans.

Electrocardiogram

Electrocardiogram

An ECG may be helpful in the diagnosis of tuberculous pericarditis. Findings on an ECG suggestive of tuberculous pericarditis include:[1][2][3][4]

  • Low voltage QRS
  • Absence of ST segment elevation which we usually see in acute pericarditis
  • Inverted T wave
  • Atrial fibrillation
  • Electrical alternans
References

References

  1. Fowler, Noble O. (1991). “Tuberculous Pericarditis”. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 266 (1): 99. doi:10.1001/jama.1991.03470010103039. ISSN 0098-7484.
  2. SCHRIRE V (1959). “Experience with pericarditis at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town: an analysis of one hundred and sixty cases studied over a six-year period”. S Afr Med J. 33: 810–7. PMID 14443596.
  3. Smedema JP, Katjitae I, Reuter H, Burgess L, Louw V, Pretorius M; et al. (2001). “Twelve-lead electrocardiography in tuberculous pericarditis”. Cardiovasc J S Afr. 12 (1): 31–4. PMID 11447490.
  4. Rooney JJ, Crocco JA, Lyons HA (1970). “Tuberculous pericarditis”. Ann Intern Med. 72 (1): 73–81. PMID 5410398.

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