Huge chronic pericardial effusion caused by Toxoplasma gondii.

Two patients who had a huge pericardial effusion of at least 9 and 14 years' duration caused by cardiac toxoplasmosis are reported. Toxoplasma gondii were seen in the pericardial fluid, and serologic evidence also demonstrated the activity of the infection. These cases illustrate both the need to exclude toxoplasmosis in chronic pericardial effusion of unknown cause and the possibility of seeing toxoplasma in the pericardial fluid of patients with active toxoplasmic pericarditis. Moreover, in endemic areas, cardiac toxoplasmosis may not be an exceptional cause of chronic pericardial effusion.