Pericarditis and myocarditis are frequent in patients infected with human i
mmunodeficiency virus (HIV), but most cases are asymptomatic or masked by s
igns and symptoms of other organ system disease. We present a case of cardi
ac tamponade, secondary to a disseminated tuberculosis infection, in a pati
ent with HIV infection. In HIV-infected patients with symptomatic pericardi
al effusion, about two thirds have an identifiable cause. A review of the l
iterature emphasises the role of pericardiocentesis in the management of th
ese patients.