OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinical and pathological characteristics of constrictive pericarditis in China.

METHODData from 150 patients with constrictive pericarditis who admitted to our hospital from 2000 to 2007 were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSConstriction pericarditis was detected by echocardiography in 149 out of 150 patients. Pericardial effusion was evidenced in 59.3% patients (89/150). The diagnostic accuracy rate for identifying constrictive pericarditis by echocardiography (98.7%, 107/109) was comparable to that of surgical diagnosis (100%, 109/109). Tuberculosis was the main cause of constrictive pericarditis in this cohort (78.7%, 118/150) including 25 (16.7%) cases with pathological or etiological evidences of tubercular pericarditis, 8 (5.3%) cases with pathologically active tuberculous focus elsewhere in the body, 66 (44.0%) cases with typical clinical tuberculosis manifestation and responded to anti-tubercular therapy and 19 (12.7%) cases with a diagnosis of suspicious tuberculosis. Pericardiectomy was performed in 108 cases and pericardial biopsy and surgical drainage was performed in 1 patient. In hospital death rate was 8.7% (13/150, 4 tubercular patients and 9 non-tubercular).

CONCLUSIONTuberculosis is the leading cause of constrictive pericarditis in this cohort and the best diagnosis tool is echocardiography other than pathological and etiological findings in pericardium.