Extensive fibrotic wrapping of the heart: a rare echocardiographic diagnosis

• Published in: Cardiovascular ultrasound Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 1 - 19
• Main Authors: Jiang, Wei, Xu, Lili, Guo, Xiaojuan, Li, Yidan, Lv, Xiuzhang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 25-07-2022; BMC
• Subjects: Autoimmune diseases; Blood vessels; Case Report; Compression; Computed tomography; Diagnosis; Diffuse mediastinal infiltration; Disease; Echocardiography; Etiology; Fibrosing mediastinitis; Flow velocity; Heart; Histology; Histopathology; Idiopathic; Laboratories; Lesions; Magnetic resonance imaging; Mediastinitis; Mediastinum; Pulmonary arteries; Radiation; Soft tissues; Tomography; Tumors; Veins & arteries
• ISSN: 1476-7120; 1476-7120
• DOI: 10.1186/s12947-022-00289-y

Abstract
Background
Fibrosing mediastinitis (FM) is considered a benign disease, but it can be fatal if progression leads to compression of the hilum of the lungs or invasion of the heart. Echocardiographic reports of this disease are very rare.
Case presentation
We present a 14-year-old male patient whose non-enhanced chest computed tomography showed unclear soft-tissue dense lesions in the anterior superior mediastinum. Echocardiography showed the heart was extensively wrapped by soft tissue lesions. The histology confirmed FM.
Conclusions
When FM affects the heart, echocardiography can help to characterize the disease and aid in the diagnosis. Echocardiography should be considered an important tool to follow the progression of this disease and guide the therapeutic approach.