Key result
Surgical intervention and antibiotic therapy successfully treated a left ventricular pseudo-aneurysm complicating purulent pericarditis in a 6-year-old girl, aligning with literature recommending surgery to prevent rupture.
Why the study?
Left ventricular pseudo-aneurysm is a rare complication of purulent pericarditis, and its exact mechanisms remain unknown.
Case Report (n=24)
Infectious pseudo-aneurysm of the left ventricle is a rare complication of purulent pericarditis, most commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, and surgical intervention is advised due to the risk of rupture.
Supports individualized surgical management in rare pediatric cases; leaves open need for systematic evidence on optimal therapy.
BACKGROUND: In 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 PRESENTATION: We 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. CONCLUSIONS: A 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.
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Juliana et al. (2020) conducted a case report in Infectious pseudo-aneurysm of the left ventricle complicating purulent pericarditis (n=24). Antibiotics and cardio-thoracic surgery was evaluated on Survival and recovery. Surgical intervention and antibiotic therapy successfully treated a left ventricular pseudo-aneurysm complicating purulent pericarditis in a 6-year-old girl, aligning with literature recommending surgery to prevent rupture.