Final answer:
Constrictive pericarditis can cause right-sided heart failure because it restricts the right ventricle's ability to fill, causing elevated pressure in the vena cavae and leading to heart failure symptoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Right-sided heart failure involves the right atrium and ventricle, where blood is pumped to the lungs. Conditions like a ventricular septal defect (VSD) can increase the load on the right ventricle due to left-to-right shunt causing increased blood flow to the lungs, which can lead to right-sided heart failure. Similarly, an atrial septal defect (ASD), results in excess blood volume passing from the left atrium to the right atrium and ventricle, causing enlargement and strain on the right side of the heart.
On the other hand, constrictive pericarditis, which involves a stiffening of the pericardial sac surrounding the heart, restricts the filling of the ventricles, particularly the right ventricle, leading to symptoms of heart failure as the right ventricle is unable to fill adequately. An anterior myocardial infarction (MI) typically affects the left ventricle, which pumps blood to the systemic circulation, although it can lead to heart failure of either side if the damage is extensive enough.