• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.63-66
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• 2020

Purulent pericarditis is defined as a localized pericardial infection with gross pus formation in the pericardial space. Although purulent pericarditis is now rare in the antibiotic era, it may be life-threatening. We describe a rare case of purulent pericarditis that originated from a subdiaphragmatic suppurative focus in an immunocompromised host.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.628-630
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• 1994

Chronic constrictive pericarditis is the end stage of a chronic inflammation that produces a fibrous, thich constricting pericardium with a limitation of a diastolic ventricular filling and eventually systolic ejection as well. We experienced a typical case of constrictive pericarditis and treated successfully by pericardiectomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.257-262
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• 1984

Acute purulent pericarditis, though not common in incidence after introduction of antibiotics, is still potentially life treating isease. Since 1971, we have experienced 14 cases of acute purulent pericarditis with successful treatment. Among these 14 cases, 9 cases were male and they had high occurrence on their third to fifth decades in age distribution. Isolation of causative organisms were obtained in 11 cases through the bacterial culture of infectious source which was mainly pericardial effusion or blood, and the most frequently recovered organism was the staphylococcus aureus. Pre-existing inflammatory disease preceding to pericarditis, named as antecedent disease, were proved in 12 cases, and among which contiguous extension from the intrathoracic infection such as pneumonia or empyema accounted for the majority of antecedent disease. Pericardiocentesis with administration of antibiotics were tried in all cases, but result in recovery in 1 patient only. Remaining 13 cases had persistent picture of pericarditis and necessitated surgical drainage procedure. Ten of these 13 cases were underwent the open pericardial window using a mode of anterior approach in 4 and subxiphoid approach in 6 cases respectively. Two cases of subxiphoid group were reoperated by the anterior interphrenic pericardiectomy, due to insufficient drain of too thick effusion. In remaining 3 cases, anterior interphrenic pericardiectomy was performed initially because of purulent effusion already changed into fibrinopurulent peel with thickened pericardium. Through the experience of this series, we recommended that pericardiectomy should not be reluctant in purulent pericarditis as a initial surgical procedure for advantage of complete removal of infected space and avoidance of late constrictive pericarditis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.935-938
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• 1999

Effusive-constrictive pericarditis is a very rare disease in infants but has high motality rates when not treated. There were some reports of pericardial constriction associated with intrapericardial abscess that led to pericardiectomy. The patient was admitted due to fever, cyanosis, and abdominal distension. We treated the patient with antibiotics and pericardiostomy but the symtoms did not improved, therefore, pericardiectomy was perfomed immediately. The patient with effusive-constrictive pericarditis was immediately relief on the symptoms and the treatment was successful.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.87-94
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• 1988

To develop more reliable diagnostic measures for traumatic pericarditis in ruminant, fluctuations of serum total LDH activities and LDH isoenzymes fractions were investigated in artificially induced pericarditis of Korean native goats. Experimental group showed the tendency of increase serum LDH total activities. Effect of LDH isoenzymes on serum total LDH activities were high with decreasing order of LDH$_1$> LDH$_3$ > LDH$\sub$5/ > LDH$_2$ > LDH$_4$ and LDH$_1$ was the hightest among them. From these findings, increase of serum total LDH activities and LDH$_1$ fraction was thought to be important in traumatic pericarditis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.64-67
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• 2011

Constrictive pericarditis is a rare complication after coronary artery bypass grafting In most cases pericardiectomy is required as a definitive treatment. However, there are several types of constrictive pericarditis such as transient cardiac constriction. Some types of constrictive pericarditis can only be managed with medical therapy. We report a 72-year-old female patient who developed subacute transient constrictive pericarditis with persistent left pleural effusion as a result of postcardiac injury syndrome. The patient went through coronary bypass surgery that was successfully treated with postoperative steroid therapy.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.222-226
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• 2018

Recurrent pericarditis is rare in children and is considered idiopathic in most cases. Its course is chronic, and preventing recurrences is important for the patient's quality of life. Although a treatment strategy in pediatric recurrent pericarditis has not yet been established, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most common treatment for management of this condition, followed by corticosteroids, colchicine, immunosuppressive agents, immunoglobulins, and interleukin-$1{\beta}$ receptor antagonists (e.g. anakinra). Herein, we report a case of recurrent pericarditis with pericardial effusion in a 5-year-old child who presented with fever and epigastric pain. He responded poorly to NSAIDs and corticosteroid therapy, but was successfully treated with colchicine.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 1974

Acute suppurative pericarditis is recognized as a rare disease since development of antibiotics but therapeutically as an important one. To our knowledge, acute suppurative pericarditis alone has not been reported previously in Korea. In this paper, we report 5 cases of acute suppurative pericarditis which were experienced during the period between January 1959 and December 1973. The patients ranged in age from 9 months to 59 years at the time of admission. Four of 5 patients were male and one female. Acute suppurative pericarditis is usually associated with pneumonia, empyema, sepsis, osteoarthritis, lung abscess, cholecystitis or tonsillitis. In our series, pneumonia was the most common associated disease. One patient had osteoarthritis. Pleural effusions were observed in three of the 5 patients. Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from pericardial fluid in 4 patients and also cultured from both pericardial and synovial fluid in one. Three of the 5 patients had cardiac tamponade and one patient required prompt pericardiocentesis. 3 of the 5 patients were treated with antibiotics and pericardiostomy, one with antibiotics and pericardiocentesis, and one with antibiotics and saline irrigation through drainage sinus from the pericardial sac. Four of the five patients were recovered without pericardial constriction. One was discharged with poor condition. In this instance, follow-up study couldn`t be made.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.184-189
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• 1983

Between 1958 and 1982, 70 patients have undergone pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis at the Thoracic Department of Seoul National University Hosp. 58 males and 12 females, with an average age of 27 years [ranging 3 to 60 years], of which 55% were between 10 and 30 years old, were treated. Eight patients died, of whom 4 were in the immediate postoperative period, less that 24 hours after operation. The cause of death was myocardial failure in 3 patients and hypotension during operation in one patient. The remaining four deaths occurred between the fifth and eighteenth postoperative day, and the causes of death varied: bilateral phrenic nerves injury, congestive heart failure, dissemination of tuberculosis, and cardiac arrest. Two patients suffered from congestive heart failure pre-and postoperatively due to the associated valvular heart disease. There were 8 wound infections on which resulted in perichondritis of costal cartilages requiring segmental resection 2 months later. There was one postoperative bleeding requiring immediate reopening for bleeding control. Tuberculosis was confirmed as the cause of constrictive carditis in 27 patients [39%]. Acute pyogenic pericarditis was precursor in 8 patients [11%]. In 2 patients [2.9%], the constrictive pericarditis developed following OHS. Both suffered from congestive heart failure postoperatively due to the residual valvular heart disease. In the others, the cause of the constrictive pericarditis was considered idiopathic or non-specific inflammation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.155-159
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• 2014

Cardiac tamponade due to purulent pericarditis with a characteristic greenish fluid is rare in this antibiotic era. It is highly fatal despite early diagnosis and advanced treatment. Gram-positive cocci are the leading cause of purulent pericarditis, which usually results from a direct or hematogenous spread of organisms to the pericardium from the primary foci of infection. We describe an index case of rapidly developing pericardial tamponade caused by oropharyngeal polymicrobial infection in the absence of a primary source of infection in a 62-year-old man, who was successfully managed with emergency large-volume pericardiocentesis followed by pericardiectomy.