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Chronic Constrictive Pericarditis: Unique Cause of Heart Failure in a Child With Tetralogy of Fallot

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Abstract

In medical schools worldwide, the traditional clinical approach is based on the law of parsimony. Physicians in daily clinical practice attempt to fulfill this very simplified yet complex concept of unifying the diagnosis in a given clinical scenario. However, failures are not uncommon. This report presents a case of tetralogy of Fallot who presented with heart failure at young age of 18 months. This is the first description of coexisting tubercular chronic constrictive pericarditis and tetralogy of Fallot. This case is reported for its unique association of two relatively uncommon clinical entities. The logistic dictum of Hickam in similar circumstances is discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Room 29, 7th Floor, New Delhi, 110029, India

    Saurabh Kumar Gupta & Anita Saxena

  2. Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India

    Sachin Talwar

Authors
  1. Saurabh Kumar Gupta
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  2. Anita Saxena
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  3. Sachin Talwar
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anita Saxena.

Electronic supplementary material

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246_2011_95_MOESM1_ESM.wmv

Apical 5 chamber view showing mal-aligned, large subaortic ventricular septal defect and pericardial effusion (WMV 366 kb)

246_2011_95_MOESM2_ESM.wmv

Parasternal short axis view showing right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction, anomalous coronary artery crossing RVOT and bilaterally confluent good sized pulmonary arteries (WMV 450 kb)

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Gupta, S.K., Saxena, A. & Talwar, S. Chronic Constrictive Pericarditis: Unique Cause of Heart Failure in a Child With Tetralogy of Fallot. Pediatr Cardiol 33, 165–167 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-011-0095-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-011-0095-5

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