title: "Amber in chamber" an enigmatous right atrial mass in a neonate.
abstract: The incidence of fungal infection is increasing worldwide. Although fungal infection is common in adults, few cases have been reported in the neonatal population. We report a case of the preterm neonate of 34 weeks who developed respiratory distress on 2(nd) day and was initiated on mechanical ventilation. Treatment was instituted for sepsis, but the patient continued to deteriorate. Two-dimensional echocardiography revealed a large right atrial mass, which eventually turned out to be fungal ball. Intense surgical and medical management led to a speedy recovery of the patient. We stress on the early use of echocardiography in atypical presentation of neonatal septicemia along with routine investigations to help in early recognition of source of infection. This can be of great value in initiating definitive management and improving survival rate in such patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, AIIMS, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, AIIMS, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Jai Prakash
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma and Emergency Medicine, AIIMS, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saigal
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, AIIMS, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Ritika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dhurwe
keywords: Fungal endocarditis; neonatal septicemia; right atrium; two-dimensional echocardiography