[Unexpected origin of recurrent ascites - Two cases]

Heureux, F;Frankart, L.;Marchandise, Baudouin;Buche, Michel;Donckier, Julian;et.al.
(1997) Acta Clinica Belgica (Multilingual Edition) — Vol. 52, n° 3, p. 176-181 (1997)

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Authors
  • Heureux, F
    Author
  • Frankart, L.
    Author
  • Marchandise, BaudouinUCLouvain
    Author
  • Buche, MichelUCLouvain
    Author
  • Martinet, Jean-PaulUCLouvain
    Author
  • Author
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Abstract
The authors report the cases of two patients suffering from ascites attributed for several years to a non pericarditic aetiology. The first patient presented with a diagnosis of right cardiac failure secondary to a right myocardial infarction. Cardiac catheterisation, magnetic resonance imaging and transoesophageal echocardiogram allowed to establish the diagnosis. In the second case, ascites was attributed to cirrhosis. Presence of pericardial calcifications, visible on a chest X-Ray led to suspect constrictive pericarditis. In both cases, ascites contained a high protein level. A pericardectomy allowed a favourable outcome in both cases. Thus, a diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis must be evoked in face of ascites of unclear origin and a normal cardiac size.
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Heureux, F., Frankart, L., Marchandise, B., Buche, M., Martinet, J.-P., & Donckier, J. (1997). [Unexpected origin of recurrent ascites - Two cases]. Acta Clinica Belgica (Multilingual Edition), 52(3), 176-181. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/49515 (Original work published 1997)