Surgical Treatment of Chronic Constrictive Pericarditis

만성 교약성 심낭염의 외과적 치료

Forty two patients with chronic constrictive pericarditis, who were admitted to the Yonsei University College of medicine over a period of 18 years from January, 1970 to August, 1988, were analyzed retrospectively. Mean age of the patient was 33.5 year ranging from 6.8 to 60 years old. Male to female ratio was 1.3 to 1. Twenty-one cases [50%] were tuberculous origin [based on either associated pulmonary tuberculosis and/or caseous necrosis in thickened pericardial specimen] and 17 cases [40.5%] were idiopathic [non specific chronic inflammatory change was considered to be idiopathic]. Dyspnea on exertion was evident in 30 cases [71.4%] and abdominal distention in 21 cases [50%]. On physical examination, hepatomegaly [83.3%], neck vein distention [54.8%], distant heart sound [47.6%] and ascites were found. Thirty-nine patients showed low voltage of QRS and/or T wave flattening or inversion on EKG. Thirty-one cases had undergone cardiac catheterization which showed data compatible with chronic constrictive pericarditis. Midsternostomy group [n=15] had shown the most remarkable CVP decline [12.20 mmHg] as compared with bilateral submammary incision group [n=25, 8.96 mmHg] and left thoracotomy group [n=2, 7.75 mmHg] but difference was not significant statistically There was four early death among 42 patients [9.5%] including 3 cases of left ventricular failure and one cardiac tamponade. Main postoperative complications were wound infection [6 cases] and arrhythmia [3 cases]. Follow-up of 24 patients [mean; 55.3 months, ranging from 2 months to 155 months] revealed good functional status.