Acute hemorrhagic pericarditis in a child with pneumonia due to Chlamydophila pneumoniae.
Chlamydophila pneumoniae is mainly responsible for respiratory tract infections but has also been associated with endocarditis and myocarditis. We report a case of pneumonia in a child with hemorrhagic pericardial effusion with a positive result by a new C. pneumoniae TaqMan PCR, suggesting a pericardial inflammation directly induced by C. pneumoniae. C. pneumoniae should be suspected in patients with community-acquired pneumonia and concurrent pericarditis. Empirical treatment with azithromycin seems feasible.
Tenenbaum
T
T
Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. tenenbaum@med.uni-duesseldorf.de
Heusch
A
A
Henrich
B
B
MacKenzie
C R
CR
Schmidt
K G
KG
Schroten
H
H
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage; D006801:Humans; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000382:microbiology; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology