Constrictive pericarditis natural history
Template:Pericardial constriction Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Prognosis
Constrictive pericarditis may be life threatening if left untreated. However, surgery to treat the condition is associated with a relatively high complication rate and is usually reserved for patients who have severe symptoms.
Complications
Possible complications include:
- Cardiac tamponade
- Damage to the coronary arteries
- Heart failure
- Pulmonary edema
- Scarring of the heart muscle
Sources
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001103.htm