Constrictive pericarditis localized to left ventricle presented with left pleural effusion: a case report.

An 18-year old woman presented with progressive dyspnea and cough. Physical examination revealed decreased breath sounds at the left hemithorax and distant heart sounds with no murmurs or rub. Electrocardiogram revealed low voltage. Chest X-ray showed unilateral left-sided pleural effusion with no cardiomegaly. Transthoracic echocardiogram showed thickened pericardium localized throughout the left ventricle impairing the diastolic filling. Doppler waveforms were suggestive of localized constrictive pericarditis. A computerized tomographic scan of the chest confirmed the presence of unilateral pleural effusion with thickened pericardium surrounding the left ventricle. The patient's symptoms and signs were related to localized constrictive pericarditis and improved following surgery.