Symptoms:

Symptoms of chronic constrictive pericarditis include:

• Difficulty breathing (dyspnea) that develops slowly and gets worse
• Fatigue, excessive tiredness
• Long-term swelling (edema) of the legs and ankles
• Swollen abdomen
• Weakness

Signs and tests:

Constrictive pericarditis is very difficult to diagnose. Signs and symptoms are similar to restrictive cardiomyopathy and cardiac tamponade. Your doctor will need to rule out these conditions when making a diagnosis.

A physical exam may show that your neck veins stick out, suggesting increased blood pressure in the area. This is called Kussmaul's sign. The doctor may note weak or distant heart sounds when listening to your chest with a stethoscope.

The physical exam may also reveal liver swelling and fluid in the belly area.

The following tests may be ordered:

• Chest MRI
• Chest CT scan
• Chest x-ray
• Coronary angiography or cardiac catheterization
• ECG
• Echocardiogram