Excerpt

A 73 year-old woman with history of previous tuberculosis related bronchiectasis and emphysema presented with chest pain and shortness of breath accompanied by pitting peripheral oedema. Her symptoms started about a month before when she had been admitted for a short time with a presumptive diagnosis of pericarditis. Her functional capacity was significantly decreased due to shortness of breath. ECG on presentation did not reveal any specific changes and there was no troponin elevation. C reactive protein however was increased at 228 mg/ml. Echocardiography revealed pericardial effusion, features of constrictive physiology with normal systolic function. Increased pericardial thickness and pericardial constriction were suspected and the patient was referred for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) examination for further assessment. …