Infectious pseudo-aneurysm of the left ventricle: a case report and a review of the literature

Juliana, A.E.; Kruys, K.H. van 't; Voigt, P.G.; Blom, N.A. (2020)

Article / Letter to editor

BackgroundIn the workup of a pediatric patient with pericarditis we found evidence of a pseudo-aneurysm of the left ventricle, which is a rare complication of purulent pericarditis.Case presentationWe present a case of a six-year-old girl who was diagnosed with pericarditis and a fistula between the pericardial and the intra-luminal space of the left ventricle of the heart. She was successfully treated with antibiotics and cardio-thoracic surgery. We found 23 published cases (21 with follow-up) of infectious pseudo-aneurysm of the heart, of which 19 underwent surgery, 5 had fatal outcome, and 2 who refused surgery survived. The majority of cases were associated with Staphylococcus aureus. The exact mechanisms of this rare complication remain unknown.ConclusionsA pseudo-aneurysm of the left ventricle is a rare and not well understood complication of a purulent pericarditis most commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus infection. Because of risk of rupture, surgical intervention is advised.

• Purulent pericarditis
• Pseudo-aneurysm
• Left ventricle
• Children
• Suriname

• All authors: Juliana, A.E.; Kruys, K.H. van 't; Voigt, P.G.; Blom, N.A.
• Date: 2020-03-24
• Journal: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 1
• DOI: doi:10.1186/s12872-019-01299-x
• Link: https://bmccardiovascdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12872-01...