Staphylococcus aureus pericarditis masquerading as anterior mediastinal mass: mediastinal mass from pericarditis

Pseudomediastinal mass as a result of bacterial pericarditis is a rare clinical presentation. We report one such case in a patient with end-stage renal disease receiving hemodialysis, who presented primarily with manifestations of right heart compression due to a large encapsulated pericardial abscess and, surprisingly, with no overt signs of sepsis. Surgical drainage, pericardiectomy, and antibiotic therapy led to a successful outcome.