Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg.  2014 Apr;47(2):155-159.

Primary Purulent Pericarditis with Cardiac Tamponade due to Oropharyngeal Polymicrobial Infection: A Case Report and Literature Review

• Bhatarai M
• Yost G
• Good CW
• White CF
• Nepal H

Abstract

Cardiac tamponade due to purulent pericarditis with a characteristic greenish fluid is rare in this antibiotic era. It is highly fatal despite early diagnosis and advanced treatment. Gram-positive cocci are the leading cause of purulent pericarditis, which usually results from a direct or hematogenous spread of organisms to the pericardium from the primary foci of infection. We describe an index case of rapidly developing pericardial tamponade caused by oropharyngeal polymicrobial infection in the absence of a primary source of infection in a 62-year-old man, who was successfully managed with emergency large-volume pericardiocentesis followed by pericardiectomy.

Keyword

Purulent pericarditis; Cardiac tamponade; Coinfection; Pericardiectomy

MeSH Terms

Cardiac Tamponade*
Coinfection*
Early Diagnosis
Emergencies
Middle Aged
Gram-Positive Cocci
Pericardiectomy
Pericardiocentesis
Pericarditis*
Pericardium