[Acute pericardial tamponade in cardiac echinococcosis]

Börner, H; Demertzis, S; Heisel, A; Berg, G; Schneider, G; Schäfers, H J (1999). [Acute pericardial tamponade in cardiac echinococcosis]. Zeitschrift für Kardiologie, 12(88), pp. 1028-33. Darmstadt: Steinkopff 10.1007/s003920050386

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An echinococcal cyst of the heart is a rare cause of acute cardiac tamponade. We report on a 24 year old male from the Kosovo who was brought in an emergency state from a provincial hospital complaining of severe dyspnea, thoracic pain, dizziness, and a short period of unconsciousness. Surgical decompression had to be performed urgently, because the pericardium could not be punctuated due to the position of the hydatid cyst. The differential diagnosis was cardiac tumor or echinococcal cyst. Because of a negative result of a test for anti-echinococcal antibodies (indirect haemagglutination) and no eosinophilia (5%), the diagnosis of hydatid cyst was at first discarded. Later on, the test for anti-echinococcal antibodies became positive and a marked eosinophilia (59%) was manifest. In combination with a typical appearance in the echocardiograph and NMR, the diagnosis of a cardiac hydatid cyst was made. After preoperative treatment with albendazole, the cyst was sterilized with a 20% NaCl solution and the contents evacuated. The therapy with albendazole was continued. When last seen eight months after the first incidence, the patient was well except some degree of dyspnea on exertion. As a differential diagnosis of a cardiac tumor, a hydatid cyst should be taken into account in patients from an area where Echinococcus granulosus is endemic. A negative test on antiechinococcal antibodies and the absence of eosinophilia do not rule out echinococcosis.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Further Contribution)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Faculty Institutions > Teaching Staff, Faculty of Medicine
UniBE Contributor:	Demertzis, Stefanos
ISSN:	0300-5860
ISBN:	10654395
Publisher:	Steinkopff
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 15:08
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:20
Publisher DOI:	10.1007/s003920050386
PubMed ID:	10654395
Web of Science ID:	000084648600009
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/29672 (FactScience: 157808)