Constrictive pericarditis as the first presentation of untreated Angioimmunoblastic Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma in a young patient

Abstract

Primary and secondary cardiac lymphoma mainly involves pericardium as pericardial effusion or cardiac tamponade, and when it does so, already the disease is in an advanced stage with many other viscera already affected.1  Lymphoma leading to cardiac constriction is very rare, and the manifestations of constriction are predominantly subclinical or insidious or autopsy diagnosed. Hence a symptomatic clinical presentation of this rare sequel, like in our case, needs high index of suspicion for an underlying malignant disease.2  Our case is further distinct with regards to the subtype of lymphoma leading to the constriction, the age of presentation of the patient, the clinical course of the disease, and the distribution of the organs involved.