Effusive-constrictive pericarditis is typically caused by tuberculosis or other severe inflammatory conditions that affect the pericardium. We report a case of effusive-constrictive pericarditis consequent to a motor vehicle accident.

A 32-year-old man with gastroesophageal reflux disease presented with severe substernal chest pain of a month's duration and dyspnea on exertion for one week. Echocardiograms revealed a moderate pericardial effusion, and the diagnosis was subacute effusive-constrictive pericarditis. After thorough tests revealed nothing definitive, we learned that the patient had been in a motor vehicle accident weeks before symptom onset, which made blunt trauma the most likely cause of pericardial injury and effusion. Medical management resolved the effusion and improved his symptoms.

To our knowledge, this is the first report of effusion from posttraumatic constrictive pericarditis associated with a motor vehicle accident. We encourage providers to consider recent trauma as a possible cause of otherwise idiopathic pericarditis.

痉挛性收缩性心包炎通常是由影响心包的结核病或其他严重的炎症引起的。我们报告一例因机动车事故导致的收缩性心包炎。

一名32岁的患有胃食管反流病的男子，表现为一个月持续时间的严重胸骨下胸痛，劳累呼吸困难一周。超声心动图显示有中等程度的心包积液，诊断为亚急性积液性心包炎。经过全面的测试后，我们没有发现任何确定性的信息，我们得知该患者在症状发作前几周曾发生过汽车交通事故，这使钝器伤成为心包损伤和积液的最可能原因。医疗管理解决了积液并改善了症状。

据我们所知，这是创伤后缩窄性心包炎与机动车辆事故有关的积液的首次报道。我们鼓励提供者将近期的创伤视为原发性心包炎的可能原因。