heart and blood vessel disorders
Chronic Pericarditis
Causes of Chronic Pericarditis
Usually, the cause of chronic effusive pericarditis is unknown. However, it may be caused by cancer, Tuberculosis (TB) , or an underactive thyroid gland ( Usually, the cause of chronic constrictive pericarditis is also unknown. The most common known causes are viral infections, radiation therapy for breast cancer or Overview of Lymphoma in the chest, and heart surgery. Chronic constrictive pericarditis may also result from any condition that causes Previously, Tuberculosis (TB) was the most common cause of chronic pericarditis in the United States, but today tuberculosis accounts for only 2% of cases. In Africa and India, tuberculosis is the most common cause of all forms of pericarditis. 