Abstract
Purulent pericarditis, a localized infection within the pericardial space, has become a rare entity in the modern antibiotic era. Although historically a disease of children and young adults, this is no longer the case: the median age at the time of diagnosis has increased by nearly 30 years over the past 6 decades. Despite advances in diagnostic and treatment modalities, purulent pericarditis remains a life-threatening illness. Unfortunately, the diagnosis is made postmortem in more than half the cases. Thus, a high index of clinical suspicion is crucial. We present 2 cases of purulent pericarditis, and provide an updated review of other case series published over the past 60 years.
MeSH terms
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Aneurysm, Infected / diagnosis
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Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / diagnosis
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Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / surgery
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Bacterial Infections / diagnosis*
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Bacterial Infections / surgery
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Candida glabrata
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Candidiasis / diagnosis
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Candidiasis / surgery
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Cardiac Tamponade / diagnosis
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Cardiac Tamponade / surgery
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Combined Modality Therapy
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Drug Therapy, Combination
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Female
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Fluconazole / administration & dosage
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Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / diagnosis
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Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / surgery
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Humans
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Infusions, Intravenous
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Male
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Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
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Middle Aged
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Penicillins / administration & dosage
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Pericardial Effusion / diagnosis
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Pericardial Effusion / surgery
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Pericardial Window Techniques
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Pericardiocentesis
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Pericarditis / diagnosis*
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Pericarditis / surgery
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Propionibacterium acnes
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Staphylococcal Infections / diagnosis
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Staphylococcal Infections / surgery
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Streptococcal Infections / diagnosis
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Streptococcus agalactiae
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Suppuration / diagnosis
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Suppuration / surgery
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Tomography, X-Ray Computed
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Vancomycin / administration & dosage
Substances
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Penicillins
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Vancomycin
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Fluconazole