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Salmonella enteritidis pericarditis: case report and review of the literature

Federica Pace1, Francesca Fanfarillo, Flavia Giorgino

  • 1Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica, Università degli Studi La Sapienza di Roma. moraxella@caltanet.it

Annali Italiani Di Medicina Interna : Organo Ufficiale Della Societa Italiana Di Medicina Interna
|October 31, 2002
PubMed

Insights

A rare case of hemorrhagic Salmonella enteritidis pericarditis occurred in an immunosuppressed patient. Salmonella enteritidis is increasingly identified as a cause of pericarditis, potentially linked to poultry consumption.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Cardiology
  • Rheumatology

Background:

  • Dermatomyositis is an autoimmune disease often requiring immunosuppressive therapy.
  • Pericarditis, inflammation of the sac around the heart, can have infectious or non-infectious causes.

Observation:

  • A 65-year-old male with idiopathic dermatomyositis on immunosuppressants presented with fever and dyspnea.
  • Diagnostic workup revealed hemorrhagic pericarditis caused by Salmonella enteritidis.

Findings:

  • Salmonella enteritidis has emerged as a frequent cause of bacterial pericarditis in the last decade, second only to Salmonella typhi.
  • This trend may be associated with poultry food contamination and/or a specific tropism of Salmonella enteritidis for the pericardium.

Implications:

  • Highlights the potential for Salmonella enteritidis to cause severe cardiac infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals.
  • Suggests increased surveillance for Salmonella enteritidis in pericarditis cases, particularly in patients with relevant exposures.
  • Underscores the importance of considering foodborne pathogens in the differential diagnosis of pericarditis in immunosuppressed patients.

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