Surgical treatment of purulent pericarditis: report of a case

Introduction: Pericarditis is frecuent pericardial disease in medical practice. The purulent pericarditis represents 5%, with a mortality of up to 40%. Case Report: We present a male patient, 27 years old, with a history of hypothyroidism that enters with cough and yellowish expectoration, associated with fever, resolved with antibiotic treatment. One month later, he reenters with abdominal pain, asthenia and intense dyspnea that does not tolerate decubitus. Echocardiogram diagnosed severe pericardial effusion, with collapse of right cavities. Emergency pericardiocentesis was performed and 450 milliliters of purulent fluid were extracted. In the echocardiographic follow-up at 48 hours, an increase in the effusion was observed, was decided surgical treatment by left anterolateral thoracotomy, finding purulent effusion and pericardial thickening of 6 mm, with multiple adhesions. Partial pericardiectomy is indicated. The patient evolved favorably, leaving 7 days after surgery.