Tense Ascites Causing Extracardiac Compression: A Case Report and Literature Review
American Journal of Medical Case Reports(2021)
Abstract
Constrictive physiology is most commonly caused by pericardial effusions, constrictive pericarditis or large pleural effusions. Rarely, alternative etiologies may cause cardiac compression. In this report, we present a case of a 70-year-old woman with squamous cell carcinoma who was referred by her cardiologist for evaluation of pericardial and pleural effusions found on echocardiography. Initial clinical findings suggesting constrictive pericarditis, However, after further evaluation we determined that tense ascites was the underlying etiology of constrictive physiology in this patient. This diagnosis requires an integrative interpretation of multiple imaging modalities. Our case highlights the interdependent relationship between cardiac and hepatic pathology that needs to be considered on a case by case basis. Additionally, this case underscores the importance of maintaining a high degree of suspicion for extracardiac compression in the setting of cirrhosis, with prompt paracentesis to adequately prevent the life-threatening sequela of cardiac tamponade.
MoreTranslated text
Key words
compression
AI Read Science
Must-Reading Tree
Example
![](https://originalfileserver.aminer.cn/sys/aminer/pubs/mrt_preview.jpeg)
Generate MRT to find the research sequence of this paper
Chat Paper
Summary is being generated by the instructions you defined