Disseminated tuberculosis presenting as cardiac tamponade—Uncommon presentation in common disease

Abstract

Tuberculosis is the most common infection in India, and its incidence accounts for approximately one-fifth of the global burden. Cardiac tamponade resulting from the liver abscess with subdiaphragmatic rupture communicating with pericardial cavity presenting as disseminated tuberculosis is uncommon. Here, we reported a case of a 63-year-old man who presented with the shortness of breath for 3 days with orthopnea. Imaging studies reveal pericardial effusion, left liver lobe loculated lesion, and enlarged right supraclavicular lymph node. Further image-guided pericardiocentesis, left liver lobe aspiration cytology, and right supraclavicular lymph node cytology reveal granulomatous inflammation with positive acid-fast bacillus in the liver aspirate. The patient was managed in the emergency room symptomatically initially and was then successfully treated with antituberculous treatment.

Keywords

• cardiac tamponade
• cytology and imaging
• disseminated tuberculosis
• liver abscess