A 75-year-old man presented to the hospital with a low-grade
fever and worsening
dyspnea. Transthoracic echocardiogram and contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a 20 × 20 mm lesion adjacent to the left ventricle with
pericardial effusion. We suspected pericardial
abscess, but no bacteria were detected even after 6 consecutive blood cultures. Ultimately, we drained 500 mL serosanguinous fluid from the
pericardial effusion on the 4th hospital day; a subsequent culture grew
methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. Although we performed percutaneous and surgical drainage and
intravenous administration of
antibiotics, he developed
constrictive pericarditis, and died due to multi-organ failure on the 21st hospital day. On histological examination, neutrophil infiltration was noted in the thickened pericardium and the myocardium. To our knowledge, a purulent
pericarditis complicated pericardial
abscess can occur without
bacteremia, and early diagnosis and aggressive management are necessary for a good prognosis. <Learning objective: Pericardial
abscess (PA) is a rare but serious life-threatening illness. We report the case of a patient with primary PA induced by S. aureus
infection without a predisposing condition. A purulent
pericarditis complicated PA can occur without
bacteremia being detected from sequential blood cultures. Early diagnosis and aggressive management are vital to ensure a good prognosis.>.