Abstract:
ABSTRACT
Pericardial tuberculoma is a rare complication of tuberculous pericarditis. It may mimic a compressive mediastinal mass, often misinterpreted as a mediastinal tumour. Since, it arises from the pericardium, pericardial tuberculoma invariably compresses structures of the heart and may present with features of either-sided heart failure depending on the side of the compression. Hereby, the authors present a case of a 52-year-old woman with progressive difficulty in breathing and symptoms of right-sided heart failure as well as clinical signs of impending cardiac tamponade following a history of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. Echocardiogram examination revealed a mass compressing the right side of the heart but was inconclusive of the mass origin. CT-Scan of the chest showed a mass arising from the pericardium. The mass was later surgically excised. Histopathology confirmed pericardial tuberculosis and a diagnosis of a pericardial tuberculoma was reached. Patient's heart failure symptoms regressed after surgery and she was discharged to continue with anti-tuberculosis regime. This report discusses the inclusion of pericardial tuberculoma in the differential diagnoses of cardiac compressing masses, particularly in tuberculosis-endemic areas and emphasize on prompt CT-scan imaging when echocardiogram is inconclusive.
