Staphylococcus aureus pericardial abscess presenting as a localized bulge of the heart contour

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2010 May;10(5):818-9. doi: 10.1510/icvts.2009.230904. Epub 2010 Feb 19.

Abstract

Purulent pericarditis usually presents as an acute illness with diffuse involvement of the whole pericardium, but can rarely present as a localized effusion. Here, we present a patient with a pericardial abscess caused by Staphylococcus aureus. After surgical drainage of the abscess, the patient made a good recovery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of a pericardial abscess presenting as a localized bulge of the heart contour on the chest X-ray.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abscess / etiology
  • Abscess / microbiology
  • Abscess / therapy*
  • Aged
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Bacteremia / complications
  • Bacteremia / diagnosis*
  • Bacteremia / drug therapy
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Drainage / methods*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pericarditis / etiology
  • Pericarditis / microbiology
  • Pericarditis / therapy*
  • Radiography, Thoracic
  • Risk Assessment
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Staphylococcal Infections / complications
  • Staphylococcal Infections / diagnosis*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / drug therapy
  • Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents