Surgical managementofpericarditis inZaria, Nigeria

Overeight years,58rural Nigerians withpericarditis were treated surgically inZaria using basic surgical facilities. Eighteen patients hadpurulent pericarditis, associated withstaphy- lococcal pneumonia inchildren, orpneumococcal pneumonia inadults. Treatment withantibiotics andpromptpericardiectomy appeared tobesuperior todrainage, since a quarterofthoseinitially treated withsurgical drainage developed early constriction andrequired pericardiectomy soon after. Thirteen patients hadchronic pericardial effusions, ofwhom one hadepicardial constriction andtwohadcardiomyopathy. Twenty-seven patients hadchronic constrictive pericarditis but tuberculosis was confirmed histologically inthree only. Echocardiographic findings remained un-