title: [Two cases of pneumococcal pericarditis].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bacterial pericarditis is often overlooked, partly because symptoms and signs associated with pericarditis are frequently missing, but also because of the rarity of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two cases of pneumococcal pericarditis treated at Ullevaal University Hospital are presented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pneumococcal pericarditis is a rare, but serious complication to infections like pneumonia, pleural empyema, and septicaemia. Patients with an infectious disease who develop signs of elevated central venous pressure, enlarged cardiac silhouette on chest x-ray, or severe hypotension should have an echocardiography performed. If pericardial fluid is present, a diagnostic pericardiocentesis should be considered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment consists of drainage and antibiotics. Pericardiocentesis and subxiphoid catheter drains may be inadequate because of fibrin precipitation resulting in organization of the fluid. In these cases surgical intervention has traditionally been recommended, but intrapericardial fibrinolysis could be an alternative.
authors.affiliation: Medisinsk overvåkning, Ullevål sykehus 0407 Oslo.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Svendsen
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ormaasen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: von der Lippe
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010492:Pericardiectomy; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents