Abstract
Background: Tuberculous pericarditis is rare in the United States but can lead to serious sequelae in the absence of diagnosis and treatment. We report a case of recurrent pericarditis following catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) due to reactivation of latent TB infection. Case Summary: A 52-year-old male with no past medical history underwent a difficult trans-septal puncture & cryo-balloon PV isolation, complicated by acute pericarditis and pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade. He underwent pericardiocentesis with removal of 260cc bloody fluid. He had resolution of chest pain with ibuprofen, but experienced recurrence after 3 months and was given a longer NSAID course. Two months later, he presented with chest pain along with night sweats & low-grade fever. He had an elevated C-reactive protein, and echocardiography revealed thickened pericardium & constrictive physiology. He received high-dose aspirin, prednisone, and colchicine for recurrent pericarditis. Extensive Infectious Disease & Rheumatology work-up ruled out autoimmune & viral etiologies but his T-Spot TB test was positive. He denied personal or contact history of TB except travel to Asia 20 years ago. CT scan ruled out pulmonary TB infection. A 6-month course of Rifampin was prescribed. He experienced a 4th episode of pericarditis while tapering off prednisone, and restarted prednisone, Ibuprofen, and colchicine. Additionally, Rilonacept was prescribed. After completing 6-months of Rifampin and Rilonacept, he had significant improvement and no further recurrences on 1 year follow up. Discussion: Pericarditis is a common complication of catheter ablation, often resulting from direct injury. We report a case of recurrent pericarditis, initially believed to be a traumatic complication of AF ablation. However, investigation revealed underlying latent pericardial TB infection. Appropriate treatment led to complete resolution without sequelae.
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