Open AccessPurulent pericarditis complicating septicaemia: report of two cases
Author(s) -
A.A. Musa,
BA Salami,
AO Tade
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
east african medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.102
H-Index - 40
ISSN - 0012-835X
DOI - 10.4314/eamj.v80i6.8711
Subject(s) - medicine , typhoid fever , pericardiocentesis , complication , surgery , perforation , pneumopericardium , chest radiograph , sepsis , pericardiectomy , percutaneous , abscess , radiology , pericardium , pericardial effusion , radiography , materials science , pathology , punching , metallurgy
Intrapericardial (Pericardial) abscess is quite rare as a complication of sepsis and as a cardiac complication of typhoid septicaemia. It is rapidly fatal if untreated. We report two cases of a schoolboy eight years old with septicaemia from pyomyositis of the right thigh and another of nine and a half years with typhoid perforation and typhoid septicaemia that developed pericardial abscesses. In well-developed centres, computerised tomography, ultrasonography and other radiological investigations are employed for both diagnosis and therapy. We emphasise that these can be accomplished by good clinical examination, radiography of chest and the use of 18-G intra-venous cannula for percutaneous pericardiocentesis without aggressive surgical intervention.