Lessons From a Complex Case of Calcific Constrictive Pericarditis: A Case Report
Corresponding Author
Varun Kasula
Department of Cardiology , Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine , Lillington , North Carolina , USA
Search for more papers by this authorVikram Padala
Department of Cardiology , Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA , temple.edu
Search for more papers by this authorJagroop Doad
Department of Cardiology , Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine , Lillington , North Carolina , USA
Search for more papers by this authorHassan Awais
Department of Cardiology , Conway Medical Center , Conway , South Carolina , USA
Search for more papers by this authorVinod Chaubey
Department of Cardiology , Conway Medical Center , Conway , South Carolina , USA
Search for more papers by this authorAditya Sood
Department of Cardiology , Conway Medical Center , Conway , South Carolina , USA
Search for more papers by this authorLauren Golden
Department of Cardiology , Conway Medical Center , Conway , South Carolina , USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Varun Kasula
Department of Cardiology , Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine , Lillington , North Carolina , USA
Search for more papers by this authorVikram Padala
Department of Cardiology , Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA , temple.edu
Search for more papers by this authorJagroop Doad
Department of Cardiology , Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine , Lillington , North Carolina , USA
Search for more papers by this authorHassan Awais
Department of Cardiology , Conway Medical Center , Conway , South Carolina , USA
Search for more papers by this authorVinod Chaubey
Department of Cardiology , Conway Medical Center , Conway , South Carolina , USA
Search for more papers by this authorAditya Sood
Department of Cardiology , Conway Medical Center , Conway , South Carolina , USA
Search for more papers by this authorLauren Golden
Department of Cardiology , Conway Medical Center , Conway , South Carolina , USA
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Despite advances in imaging and diagnostics, calcific constrictive pericarditis (CCP) remains a rare and challenging entity, often masquerading as other cardiopulmonary conditions, leading to delayed diagnosis. We present a 70-year-old male with a history of heart failure, atrial fibrillation (AF), cirrhosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and prior pleural effusion, who was admitted with acute hypoxic respiratory failure and AF with rapid ventricular response (RVR). Imaging revealed extensive pericardial calcifications, leading to a diagnosis of CCP. The patient’s clinical course was marked by refractory hypotension, altered mental status, and progressive cardiohepatic syndrome. Given his high surgical risk, he was managed conservatively and transitioned to palliative care. This case underscores the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of CCP, particularly in patients with complex comorbidities where surgical intervention is not feasible. It highlights the need for early recognition and individualized management strategies to optimize outcomes in this challenging subset of patients.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Open Research
Data Availability Statement
Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.
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