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Thoracoscopic pericardiotomy for management of purulent pneumococcal pericarditis in a child
Author(s) -
Agrawal V,
Saxena A,
Sethi A,
Acharya H,
Sharma D
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
asian journal of endoscopic surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1758-5910
pISSN - 1758-5902
DOI - 10.1111/j.1758-5910.2011.00129.x
Subject(s) - medicine , surgery , pericardiocentesis , complication , tamponade , pericarditis , pneumonia , cardiac tamponade
Abstract Purulent pericarditis is an extremely rare complication of pneumococcal pneumonia in children that may result in to cardiac tamponade. While image‐guided pericardiocentesis is the treatment of choice for such a condition, it may fail in the presence of thick pus; loculations and thoracoscopic pericardiotomy are useful procedures for such situations. Herein, we report such a case involving a 6‐year‐old boy who presented with purulent pneumococcal pericarditis that was managed with thoracoscopic pericardiotomy and who recovered well. Thoracoscopic pericardiotomy is a safe procedure that allows effective drainage under vision, pericardial biopsy for diagnosis, and a simultaneous opportunity to perform thoracoscopic pleural drainage.