title: Pericardial abscess detected by Gallium-67 scintigraphy 40 years after cardiac surgery.
abstract: A 45-year-old female who had cardiac surgery 40 years earlier was transferred to our hospital because of refractory fever. Echocardiography showed an intrapericardial mass. Gallium-67 (67Ga) scintigraphy revealed abnormal accumulation at the same site of the intrapericardial mass and thoracoscopy revealed that the mass was a pericardial abscess (PA). After surgical resection, drainage and antibiotic therapy, her fever subsided and the abnormal accumulation of 67Ga disappeared. This case showed a very rare clinical course of PA and the importance of 67Ga scintigraphy for its diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mitsuma
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuchida
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Yoshifusa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aizawa
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013906:Thoracoscopy
chemical_list: D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes