In the 1920s and 1930s, when pericardiectomy first became anestablished therapy for constrictive pericarditis, surgeonsrecognized the condition in which pericardial effusion coexistswith a visceral constrictive pericarditis (or constrictive epicarditis)(see Figure). In 1971, clinical and hemodynamic features weredescribed that allowed the diagnosis to be made before an operationor autopsy had been performed. Since that time, individual caseshave been reported nearly every year. Many of these cases, includingat least one reported in the Case Records of the MassachusettsGeneral Hospital,1 occurred in the United States. Others havebeen reported in at least 26 . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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From the Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.
Related Letters:
Effusive–Constrictive Pericarditis
Eltzschig H. K., Sugarbaker D. J., Felbinger T. W., Boltwood C. M. Jr., Rosing D. R., Sagristà-Sauleda J., Angel J., Soler-Soler J., Hancock E. W.
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N Engl J Med 2004;
350:2310-2312, May 27, 2004.
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Eltzschig, H. K., Sugarbaker, D. J., Felbinger, T. W., Boltwood, C. M. Jr., Rosing, D. R., Sagrista-Sauleda, J., Angel, J., Soler-Soler, J., Hancock, E. W.
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