Tuberculous pericarditis: a case report

Pericardial effusion is common disease and difficult to diagnose. Tuberculosis accounts for up to 4% of acute pericarditis and 7% of cardiac tamponade cases. Quick treatment can be lifesaving but requires accurate diagnosis. We report a case of a 65-year-old man who presented with a 3-week history of fever with chills, non-productive cough and dyspnea. The case was diagnosed by positivity of acid-fast staining, culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the aspirated pericardial fluid and treated promptly with antituberculosis drugs. The patient showed complete recovery.