Pericarditis/Tamponade: Difference between revisions

The image of a pericarditis resembles the image of a restrictive cardiomyopathy: good systolic LV function with diastolic dysfunction. However, there are differences that can be distinguished with echocardiography. In restrictive cardiomyopathy, there is a myocardial disease. Primarily, it is the function disorder of the myocardium. Therefore, often deviations with regards to myocardial are observed, for example like the speckled aspect, thickened valves, thickened atrial septal amyloidosis and also a reduced systolic function. Dysfunctions can also be detected even if it is not part of the constrictive pericarditis. At a restrictive cardiomyopathy the atria are often greatly enlarged with a restrictive cardiomyopathy. In a constrictive, there is also often some atria dilatation but this is not conspicuous. The mitral inflow patterns in a restrictive cardiomyopathy often shows a more pronounced restrictive filling pattern, E/A ratio of 2 or higher with deceleration times shorter than 140msec. In a restrictive cardiomyopathy, pulmonary hypertension can sometimes be a significant action (>50 mmHg). In a constrictive, there is rarely a pulmonary pressure above 50 mmHg found.