A rare cause of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: primary pericardial mesothelioma masquerading as pericardial constriction

We present a case of a 30-year-old woman with a history of HIV and hepatitis C who sought medical attention because of severe oedema of the lower limbs and abdomen. CT of the chest showed a thickened pericardium, and cardiac catheterisation demonstrated constrictive physiology. She underwent pericar...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ Case Reports 2014, Vol.2014
Main Authors: Fernandes, Russell, Nosib, Shravan, Thomson, Dorothy, Baniak, Nick
Format: Report
Language:English
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We present a case of a 30-year-old woman with a history of HIV and hepatitis C who sought medical attention because of severe oedema of the lower limbs and abdomen. CT of the chest showed a thickened pericardium, and cardiac catheterisation demonstrated constrictive physiology. She underwent pericardiectomy, but the procedure was unsuccessful because the pericardium was densely adherent to the myocardium. After consultation with several pathologists, she was diagnosed with primary pericardial mesothelioma (PPM), an exceedingly rare cardiac tumour with a fatal prognosis. She died within 3 months of presentation. The details of the case as well as pertinent literature are reviewed.
ISSN:1757-790X
DOI:10.1136/bcr-2013-203194