Atrial Septal Defect Coexisting With Constrictive Pericarditis - A Diagnostic Conundrum

Abstract

The combination atrial septal defect and chronic constrictive pericarditis is very rare and poses diagnostic challenges because one tends to mask the clinical features of the other. We report such a case in which the initial diagnosis was suspected to be chronic constrictive pericarditis. This diagnosis was later changed to secundum atrial septal defect after transthoracic echocardiography. The complete diagnosis was made intra-operatively and the patient was relieved of both pathologies surgically.