The normal pericardium is a fibroelastic sac containing a thin layer of fluid that surrounds the heart. Cardiac tamponade, which may be acute or subacute, is characterized by the accumulation of pericardial fluid under pressure. Tuberculous pericarditis is a complication of tuberculosis which is often diagnose late due to the difficulty in establishing this diagnosis. We present a case of pericardial tuberculosis diagnosed in a 20-year-old young retroviral disease patient who presented with signs of cardiac tamponade. His clinical condition improved post-pericardial tapping and he was discharged with anti tuberculosis medications. This case highlight the importance of having a high level of suspicion as this condition is easily curable.
Pericardial effusion is a common disease and tuberculosis (TB) accounts up to 4% of acute pericarditis with up to 7% of tamponade case. Accurate diagnosis is important while quick intervention can be life-saving. A case was reported involving a 73-year-old man who presented with reduced effort tolerance for one-month duration. During hospitalization, further workup revealed the presence of massive purulent pericardial effusion with evidence of tamponade. TB gene expert was positive in aspirated pericardial fluid and the patient was treated promptly using a combination of anti-TB drugs with the addition of steroid therapy.
A 40-year-old man presented to the Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah, Alor Setar, Kedah, with constitutional and respiratory symptoms. Physical examination and echocardiogram demonstrated massive pericardial effusion. Patient required multiple attempts of pericardiocentesis due to recurrent pericardial effusion. Initial workup including pericardial fluids examination and computed tomography imaging did not reveal any apparent cause. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a suspicious mass infiltrating into the right atrium. Autoimmune screening was negative. Patient was subsequently treated as having tuberculous pericarditis. However, his disease progressed rapidly and he eventually passed away due to right atrial rupture. Postmortem revealed a ruptured right atrial tumour leading to massive haemothorax. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of primary pericardial angiosarcoma.