Correct!
5. All of the above.

A subset of patients with constrictive pericarditis undergo spontaneous resolution of constrictive pericarditis or respond to medical therapy (17%) (5). A high degree of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) of the pericardium on CMR appears promising as a way to predict which patients with constrictive pericarditis will have reversal or resolution of the process and not require pericardectomy.

Our patient was medically managed with diuresis which resulted in a 20 lb weight loss and improvement in his symptoms, cardiac examination and chest x-ray (Figure 4).

Figure 4. PA (Panel A) and lateral (Panel B) chest x-ray after diuresis.

Because his gadolinium uptake was high in his pericardium, he is beginning a 3 week course of prednisone.

References

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