Tuberculous pericarditis natural history


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

Natural History, Complications and Prognosis
Tuberculous pericarditis often has a complicated course and poor clinical outcomes. It can lead to pericardial effusion and subsequently, cardiac tamponade which may require urgent intervention including pericardiocentesis. The mortality rate of tuberculous pericarditis in the preantibiotic era was 80-90%. The mortality rate in the modern era is currently 8-17% and is 17-34% if the TB is associated with HIV.

Tuberculous pericarditis can also cause heart failure as observed in Eastern Cape and Zimbabwe where it is a common cause, but less common than rheumatic heart disease. In this region, TB pericarditis is a more common cause of heart failure than hypertensive heart disease and cardiomyopathy

Constrictive pericarditis is another complication of tuberculous pericarditis occurring in 30-60% of patients despite prompt antituberculosis treatment and the use of corticosteroids