Acute pericarditis associated with Mycoplasma Pneumoniae infection

Abstract

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the only mycoplasma clearly involved in respiratory tract infections in man. We report a 7-year-old-boy case with pericardial effusion secondary to M. pneumoniae infection. The chest X-ray revealed cardiomegaly and echocardiography showed a pericardial effusion. He received cefotaxime and vancomycin without improvement. On the fifth day he presented a maculopapular skin rash with important lethargy. M. pneumoniae serology was positive. The patient received intravenous erythromycin and immunoglobulins with improvement within 48 hours.