# Clinical symptoms, pathogenesis and postoperative course of non-specific constrictive pericarditis with dumbbell-shaped heart

## TL;DR

A 15-year-old boy with non-specific constrictive pericarditis showed symptoms like breathlessness and was treated surgically despite no history of tuberculosis.

## Contribution

The case highlights non-tuberculous non-specific constrictive pericarditis in a young patient without prior infection.

## Key findings

- The patient presented with exertional dyspnea and was classified as NYHA class II.
- He had no history of childhood tuberculosis or current infection.
- Surgical pericardiectomy was performed despite prior anti-tuberculosis treatment.

## Abstract

Non-specific chronic constrictive pericarditis is a rare and debilitating chronic infection in developed countries and its rapid diagnosis and treatment has not affected its outcome and complication.

A 15-year-old male, well nourished, negative HIV test, and without a history of previous pulmonary tuberculosis, was admitted to our hospital for exertional dyspnea (New York Heart Association, NYHA, functional class II). Our patient had had no pulmonary tuberculosis during childhood, had received anti-tuberculosis treatment, and was referred to our center for further surgical pericardiectomy.