[Acute pericarditis as an organic manifestation of the acute infection Chlamydia pneumoniae].

The article presents the case of a 52-year-old patient who was treated in our clinic for very serious acute Chlamydia pericarditis (a Chlamydia pneumonia infection) with a large pericardial exudate. The clinical progression was that of an acute systematic illness. The article describes the differential diagnostic algorithm used during hospitalisation and the corresponding treatments provided. Similar cases are very rarely described in the literature. The discussion includes an analysis of the possible organic manifestations of acute and chronic Chlamydia pneumoniae infections. This bacterium most frequently attacks the respiratory tract but in humans may also cause separate organic complications such as effects on joints, the lungs, the CNS and the heart. The medicine of choice is always long-term antibiotic therapy (macrolides, fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines).