Atrio-ventricular regurgitations in constrictive pericarditis: incidence and post-operative outcome

We studied 33 surgically proven cases of constrictive pericarditis during the period 1989–1991 by color Doppler echocardiography and angiography to look for incidence and postoperative outcome of atrioventric regurgitation. The mean age was 27.2 + 16.5 years (21 males, 12 females). There was a very high incidence of mitral (79%, trivial in 13, mild in 11 and moderate in 2) and tricuspid (73%, trivial in 7, mild and moderate in 6 each and severe in 5) regurgitation. There was good correlation between ‘color Doppler’ and angiography for detection and quantification of these regurgitations ( r = 0.89 for mitral and 0.76 for tricuspid regurgitation, respectively). There were no preoperative clinical or hemodynamic predictors for the incidence or severity of these regurgitations. Immediate postoperative (7–10 days) evaluation by color Doppler did not show any change in these regurgitations. A follow-up study (by color Doppler and angiography) in 18 patients at a mean period of 229 + 105 days revealed regression of these regurgitations by at least 1 grade in 50% of patients. Patients with persisting regurgitations had persisting hemodynamic abnormality and relatively longer duration of symptoms. The presence of atrio-ventricular regurgitations should not be taken as evidence favoring diagnosis of restrictive cardiomyopathy and against that of constrictive pericarditis. The mechanism of these regurgitations is not clear to us.