Constrictive pericarditis following heart transplantation: Reality or fiction?

Constrictive pericarditis (CP) is a curable cause of diastolic heart failure with prior cardiac surgery being a recognizable etiology. We report a patient who developed CP one year following heart transplantation. Several clinical and imaging related factors may lead to diagnostic delays in similar patients, including the mistaken belief that transplanted hearts are devoid of pericardium and thus do not develop constriction. Post-transplantation pericardial effusion, mediastinitis, and cardiac rejection predispose to future CP. Caretakers should consider this entity in allograft recipients who develop heart failure symptoms of unclear etiology.

Automated summary

Constrictive pericarditis (CP) is a treatable cause of diastolic heart failure, often seen in patients with prior cardiac surgery. Factors such as post-transplantation pericardial effusion, mediastinitis, and cardiac rejection can predispose allograft recipients to CP. Healthcare providers should consider CP in patients who develop heart failure symptoms post-transplant of unclear etiology.