2021 Volume 50 Issue 1 Pages 34-37
We report a case of a 64-year-old woman with a history of radiation therapy for breast cancer 27 years ago who developed malignant pericardial mesothelioma. Since 3 years ago, the recurrent bloody pericardial effusion was getting worse, which caused general edema and nocturnal dyspnea. She had a thickened pericardium and the right ventricular pressure curve showed a dip-and-plateau pattern. We diagnosed constrictive pericarditis and performed a pericardiectomy and waffle procedure on the thickened epicardium without cardiopulmonary bypass. The post-operative histology confirmed malignant pericardial mesothelioma and she died on the 17th postoperative day. Pericardial malignant mesothelioma is a rare disorder but very aggressive. This fatal disease may be considered in a patient with recurrent bloody pericardial effusion who has a history of thoracic radiation therapy.
