Tuberculous pericarditis is frequently reported as the primary cause of pericardial calcification ¹ and occurs in approximately 1 to 2 percent of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). This is a rare finding in the Western World. However, tuberculous pericarditis accounts for nearly 10% of chronic constrictive pericarditis cases in the United States ². There is strong evidence that large calcific pericardial deposits indicate “burnt-out” pericardial tuberculosis ². Detecting the pericardial calcification on radiography is important for definitive diagnosis ².

The differential diagnosis for pericardial calcifications include ¹:

• idiopathic
• viral
• TB
• trauma
• cardiac surgery
• radiation
• connective tissue disorders
• malignancy

This case was submitted with supervision and input from:

Soni C. Chawla, M.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Radiological Sciences
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Olive View - UCLA Medical Center