suMMARY A 13-year-old schoolboy developed a moderately large pericardial effusion during the course of infection with psittacosis. The value of echocardiography in differentiating between pericardial effusion and myocarditis is shown.Pericarditis complicating psittacosis infection is rare and to our knowledge no well-documented case of pericardial effusion caused by this infection has been described. Case reportA 13-year-old schoolboy was admitted to hospital with a 2-day history of headache, left-sided chest pain, cough, and thick clear sputum. There had been no similar illness among his 5 brothers or 7 sisters. The poultry on the farm where he lived had not been diseased recently.On examination he looked flushed, ill, and toxic, with a temperature of 39-2 C, and a coated tongue. His respiratory rate was 20/minute and the pulse was 130/minute and regular. Blood pressure was 117/50 mmHg. There were expiratory rhonchi in both lower lobes. There were no abnormal heart sounds or murmurs and no friction rub was audible. There was no rash or lymphadenopathy.
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