Does echocardiography differentiate constrictive pericarditis from restrictive myocardial disease and severe tricuspid regurgitation?
Specific echocardiographic parameters, including respiration-related septal shift and preserved medial e' velocity, are key to diagnosing constrictive pericarditis and differentiating it from restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Echocardiography allows differentiation of constrictive pericarditis from restrictive myocardial disease and severe tricuspid regurgitation. Respiration-related ventricular septal shift, preserved or increased medial mitral annular e' velocity, and prominent hepatic vein expiratory diastolic flow reversals are independently associated with the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis.
Welch et al. (Sat,) studied this question.