Bacterial pericardial effusion secondary to endobronchial ultrasound guided needle aspiration

Abstract

Abstract Endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS‐TBNA) is a widely used procedure in lung cancer diagnosis with few serious complications. We present a rare case of pericardial effusion secondary to EBUS‐TBNA. An 80‐year‐old male with interstitial lung disease, developed a pericardial effusion composed exclusively of oropharyngeal flora following EBUS‐TBNA. Bacterial pericardial effusion following EBUS‐TBNA has only been reported in the literature seven previous times. The majority of these cases reported a biopsy of the 4R lymph node. This case highlights the potential risk of pericardial effusion when sampling lymph nodes, particularly station 4R, in patients with a high‐riding superior pericardial recess.

Keywords

• bronchoscopy
• EBUS‐TBNA
• pericardial effusion