A textured clinical mosaic involving autoimmune calcific constrictive pericarditis: a case report

This case of SLE presenting with advanced calcific constrictive pericarditis demonstrates the crucial role played by aetiological diagnosis in constrictive pericarditis. It also exemplifies the often-subtle nature of extra-cardiac manifestations in autoimmune processes, particularly in SLE, which may lead to significant diagnostic uncertainty and delay in the instatement of disease-specific therapy. The benefits of the latter are manifest in this case as the introduction of mycophenolate determined a complete reversal of constrictive physiology despite refractoriness to surgical pericardiectomy.