Prognostic value of initial echocardiographic features in patients with tuberculous pericarditis

Predictive factors for unfavorable outcomes of tuberculous pericarditis in human immunodeficiency virus-uninfected patients in an intermediate tuberculosis burden country

BACKGROUND

In areas where Mycobacterium tuberculosis is endemic, tuberculosis is known to be the most common cause of pericarditis. However, the difficulty in diagnosis may lead to late complications such as constrictive pericarditis and increased mortality. Therefore, identification of patients at a high risk for poor prognosis, and prompt initiation of treatment are important in the outcome of TB pericarditis. The aim of this study is to identify the predictive factors for unfavorable outcomes of TB pericarditis in HIV-uninfected persons in an intermediate tuberculosis burden country.

METHODS

A retrospective review of 87 cases of TB pericarditis diagnosed at a tertiary referral hospital in South Korea was performed. Clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes, complications during treatment, duration of treatment, and medication history were reviewed. Unfavorable outcome was defined as constrictive pericarditis identified on echocardiography performed 3 to 6 months after initial diagnosis of TB pericarditis, cardiac tamponade requiring emergency pericardiocentesis, or death. Predictive factors for unfavorable outcomes were identified.

RESULTS

Of the 87 patients, 44 (50.6%) had unfavorable outcomes; cardiac tamponade (n = 36), constrictive pericarditis (n = 18), and mortality (n = 4). 14 patients experienced both cardiac tamponade and constrictive pericarditis. During a 1 year out-patient clinic follow up, 4 patients required repeat pericardiocentesis and pericardiectomy was performed in 0 patients. In the multivariate analysis, patients with large amounts of pericardial effusion (P = .003), those with hypoalbuminemia (P = .011), and those without cardiovascular disease (P = .011) were found to have a higher risk of unfavorable outcomes.

CONCLUSION

HIV-uninfected patients with TB pericarditis are at a higher risk for unfavorable outcomes when presenting with low serum albumin, with large pericardial effusions, and without cardiovascular disease.

Effusive-constrictive pericarditis

Effusive-constrictive pericarditis (ECP) is an increasingly recognized clinical syndrome. It has been best characterized in patients with tamponade who continue to have elevated intracardiac pressure after the removal of pericardial fluid. The disorder is due to pericardial inflammation causing constriction in conjunction with the presence of pericardial fluid under pressure. The etiology is diverse with similar causes to constrictive pericarditis and the condition is more prevalent with certain etiologies such as tuberculous pericarditis. The diagnosis is most accurately made using simultaneous intrapericardial and right atrial pressure measurements with pericardiocentesis, although non-invasive Doppler hemodynamic assessment can assess residual hemodynamic findings of constriction following pericardiocentesis. The clinical presentation has considerable overlap with other pericardial syndromes and as yet there are no biomarkers or non-invasive findings that can accurately predict the condition. Identifying patients with ECP therefore requires a certain index of clinical suspicion at the outset, and in practice, a proportion of patients may be identified once there is objective evidence for persistent atrial pressure elevation after pericardiocentesis. Although a significant number of patients will require pericardiectomy, a proportion of patients have a predominantly inflammatory and reversible pericardial reaction and may improve with the treatment of the underlying cause and the use of anti-inflammatory medications. Patients should therefore be observed for the improvement on these treatments for a period, whenever possible, before advocating pericardiectomy. Imaging modalities identifying ongoing pericardial inflammation such as contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging or nuclear imaging may identify those subsets more likely to respond to medical therapies. Pericardiectomy, if necessary, requires removal of the visceral pericardium.

Tuberculous pericarditis presenting as massive haemorrhagic pericardial effusion

Tuberculous pericarditis is an exceedingly rare but a well-described extra-pulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis (TB) infection in Hong Kong. An 82-year-old woman with a known history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia was admitted for congestive heart failure. Routine echocardiographic study during admission revealed a massive pericardial effusion (~4 cm in thickness) but with no tamponade effect. Pericardiocentesis was performed and 1.6 L of heavily blood stained fluid was drained. All tumour and auto-immune markers were unremarkable. A whole body positron emission tomography-computer tomography (PET-CT) scan was then performed and showed an increased fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the entire pericardium with no sources of possible malignancy identified. Rapid acid fast bacilli culture and Genprobe examination of the pericardial fluid then demonstrated the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. She was started on anti-TB medications and tolerated them well. Follow-up echocardiographic study showed no re-accumulation of pericardial fluid.