Candida pericarditis and tamponade from a malignant pericardio-oesophageal fistula.

Abstract

We describe the case of a middle-aged man and long-term smoker, presenting in cardiac tamponade with paroxysmal atrial flutter, with translocation of Candida glabrata into the pericardial space as a result of an erosive malignant oesophago-pericardial fistula.

Contribution: The isolation of Candida species from the pericardial space is a rare manifestation of invasive candida infection, carrying a high mortality rate, and requires interrogation for possible underlying immune aberrations or mechanical portals of entry.