Recently, cardiac MR (CMR) has enabled us to assess the inflammatory status of the pericardium in constrictive pericarditis (CP). The aim of study was to compare the LV function using by syngo velocity vector imaging (VVI) between before and after pericardiectomy in CP and to elucidate the relationship between the inflammatory status of the pericardium and LV function after pericardiectomy.

37 CP patients (33 men, mean age 57 + 16 years) who underwent surgical pericardiectomy underwent pre- and postoperative echo examination and preoperative CMR examination. All CP patients were categorized as DE (+) or DE (−) based on the findings of delayed enhancement imaging. Averaged LV longitudinal strain (LS) and circumferential strain (CS) were calculated by VVI as the severity of peri-myocardial tethering influences myocardial function.

19 patients were categorized into the DE (+) group and 18 patients into the DE (−) group. At baseline, there were no significant differences in LS and CS between DE (+) and DE (−). Patients in the DE (+) group had significantly higher LS and CS after pericardiectomy than at baseline (−17.7±2.1% vs. −15.0±3.9% p <0.01 and −22.6±4.8% vs. −20.6±4.9% p =0.03, Figure 1). However, patients in the DE (−) group had no significant differences in LS and CS between baseline and after pericardiectomy.

Pericardial delayed enhancement by CMR in CP is associated with increased longitudinal and circumferential strain after pericardectomy.