Pericardial involvement in the HIV/-infected patient

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.