Tuberculous pericarditis overview


 * Associate Editor-In-Chief: Varun Kumar, M.B.B.S.; Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.

Overview
The incidence of tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its complications has significantly decreased in developed nations while it remains high in developing countries. Approximately one third of the world population is believed to be infected with tuberculosis(TB). In 2006, the WHO estimated the global prevalence of active TB to be 14.4 million cases. TB accounts for 1.7 million deaths worldwide. One of the important complications of TB is pericarditis which is inflammation of the pericardial sac that encases the heart.