Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Rep 2018; 07(01): e50-e52
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1676034
Case Report: Cardiac
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

An Unusual Complication of Pericarditis

Ashraf Rad
1   Department of Cardiac Surgery, AK St. Georg, Hamburg, Germany
,
Ulrich Lange
2   Department of Internal Medicine/Cardiology, AK Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
,
Bartholomaeus Makowski
3   Department of Radiology, AK Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
,
Thomas Held
2   Department of Internal Medicine/Cardiology, AK Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
,
Jürgen Schönwälder
3   Department of Radiology, AK Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
,
Michael Schmoeckel
1   Department of Cardiac Surgery, AK St. Georg, Hamburg, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

07 August 2018

12 October 2018

Publication Date:
12 December 2018 (online)

Also available at
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Background According to current guidelines, acute pericarditis is an inflammatory pericardial syndrome with or without pericardial effusion.

Case Description We report on a patient who was treated for purulent pericarditis and developed a fistula from the ascending aorta to the right ventricle (RV), leading to cardiac decompensation. Operative closure of the aortic and RV perforation solved the problem.

Conclusion Bacterial pericarditis may lead to life-threatening complications. Early diagnosis and immediate therapy are essential for a successful outcome.

Keywords

pericarditis - complications - fistula - left/right shunt
 

  • References

  • 1 Adler Y, Charron P, Imazio M. , et al; ESC Scientific Document Group 2015 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases: The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Management of Pericardial Diseases of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)Endorsed by: The European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS). Eur Heart J 2015; 36 (42) 2921-2964
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 2 Rubin RH, Moellering Jr RC. Clinical, microbiologic and therapeutic aspects of purulent pericarditis. Am J Med 1975; 59 (01) 68-78
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 3 Boyle JO, Pearce ML, Guze LB. Purulent pericarditis. Review of the literature and report of eleven cases. Medicine (Baltimore) 1961; 40: 119
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 4 Sagristà-Sauleda J, Barrabés JA, Permanyer-Miralda G, Soler-Soler J. Purulent pericarditis: review of a 20-year experience in a general hospital. J Am Coll Cardiol 1993; 22 (06) 1661-1665
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 5 Imazio M, Brucato A, Mayosi BM. , et al. Medical therapy of pericardial diseases: part I: idiopathic and infectious pericarditis. J Cardiovasc Med (Hagerstown) 2010; 11 (10) 712-722
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 6 Meier D, Kirsch M, Qanadli SD, Muller O, Fishman D, Trana C. Case report of an unusual combination of purulent pericarditis and false aneurysm of the ascending aorta. J Cardiothorac Surg 2018; 13 (01) 15
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar