Cardiac Tamponade due to Nocardia asteroides

Fatal Systemic Nocardia Infection Revealed by Cardiac Tamponade

“…Here, we report a rare case of severe nocardia infection revealed by initial cardiac tamponade, in a non-HIV patient. Acute pericarditis due to Nocardia is scarcely reported (1); the few reports are mainly in immunodeficient patients, such as AIDS (2), or in patients with other predisposing factors like alcoholism (3), or with immunologic disorders such as mixed connective tissue disease (4). Cardiac tamponade is rarely described (5)(6)(7).…”

Grand Rounds-Hammersmith Hospital: Nocardia pericarditis

“…The patients reported on were aged 34-57 years (six men, three women). Four were immunocompromised (one patient had leprosy and trachoma,5 one had emphysema and alcoholism,8 one was receiving immunosuppressive treatment for mixed connective tissue disease,9 and one had syphilis and alcoholism 10…”