Key result
Urgent pericardiocentesis and escalated antifungal therapy fail to prevent fatal fungal pericarditis.
Why the study?
Candida pericarditis is a rare, life-threatening complication with diagnostic challenges and therapeutic limitations in critically ill burn patients with multisite Candida colonization and prolonged antibiotic exposure.
Case Report (n=1)
No
Highlights the critical importance of early diagnostic pericardiocentesis for suspected fungal pericarditis in heavily colonized burn patients with sepsis, though mortality remains extremely high in the setting of multiorgan failure.
High mortality persists in fungal pericarditis despite drainage; hypothesis-generating for earlier strategies in burn patients but should not change practice.
Candida pericarditis is a rare, life-threatening complication of invasive candidiasis, associated with high mortality. We report this case of a young woman with 60% body surface area burn, multidrug-resistant polymicrobial sepsis, and multiorgan failure who developed Candida albicans pericarditis complicated by cardiac tamponade. Despite urgent pericardiocentesis and escalation of antifungal therapy, she ultimately progressed to refractory shock and multiorgan failure. This case illustrates the diagnostic challenge and therapeutic limitations of fungal pericarditis in critically ill host, and underscores the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion in burn patients with multisite Candida colonization and prolonged antibiotic exposure.
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Althobaiti et al. (2026) conducted a case report in Candida albicans purulent pericarditis with cardiac tamponade (n=1). Urgent pericardiocentesis and liposomal amphotericin B was evaluated on Clinical outcome (survival). Despite urgent pericardiocentesis draining 456 mL of purulent fluid and escalation of antifungal therapy, the patient died from refractory shock and multiorgan failure.
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