A. JAMES LIEDTKE, M.D., F.A.C.P.; ROBERT L. DEJOSEPH, M.D.; ROBERT ZELIS, M.D., F.A.C.P.
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Echocardiography is a simple, noninvasive and reliable bedside technique, which has increasing clinical application in the diagnosis of pericardial effusion (1, 2). The present report describes an instance where this otherwise accurate method led to a falsely-positive diagnosis, presumably from acoustically silent fibrinous material, which appeared as a moderate-to-large pericardial effusion.
An acutely ill, 30-year-old farmer was admitted to a local hospital with fever 40.3 °C [104.6 °F], productive cough, and physical findings of left lobar pneumonia complicated by an accompanying loud, two-component, pericardial friction rub without evidence for cardiac tamponade.
Diplococcus pneumoniae was noted on Gram stain of the
LIEDTKE AJ, DEJOSEPH RL, ZELIS R. Echocardiographic Observations in Inflammatory Pericarditis. Ann Intern Med. 1976;84:573–574. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-84-5-573
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Published: Ann Intern Med. 1976;84(5):573-574.
DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-84-5-573
Cardiology, Pericardial Disease.
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