Pericardial cyst: an unusual cause of pneumonia

Abstract

Pericardial cysts occur rarely with an incidence rate of 1 per 100,000. They are usually detected by chance and are clinically silent in most cases. We report the case of a 66 year old Irish male, with signs and symptoms of pneumonia. A chest X-Ray confirmed left lower lobe consolidation. Further imaging including a CT thorax identified a large pericardial cyst as the cause of the symptoms. Although pericardial cysts are usually asymptomatic, they can present with chest pain and symptoms of respiratory tract infection.