Tuberculous Pericarditis: of A Protocol in the Treatment Based on Staging

Background: There are no available reference values on treatment of tuberculous pericarditis in the literature and seems it remains controversial. Methods: Twenty nine patients (age ranges 9 - 75 years) with tuberculous pericarditis were studied retrospectively in this study. Medical recording of all patients undergoing operation for pericardial tuberculosis at the Cardiothoracic ward of Tabriz University from 1981 through 1998 were reviewed with attention to clinical, operative, pathological features of tuberculous pericarditis. Diagnosis is mostly with pericardial biopsy (85%). Fifteen patients were male and fourteen patients were female. Staging of patients results as follows: Stage I=0; Stage II= 11; Stage III= 10; Stage IV= 6 with tuberculous pericarditis. All stages treated with presented protocol treatment. Results: Twelve year follow up of patients showed no reccurence or mortality in stages II and III, but one of two patients in stage IV that operated died due to heart failure. This showed us 17% mortality in stage IV and 3.7% mortality in all of stages. Conclusion: Management of tuberculous pericarditis from exudative through constrictive stages has considerable controversy, so in our idea presentation of a protocol for treatment of all stages of tuberculous pericarditis is necessary.