Pericarditis with massive pericardial effusion : an unusual complication of primary biliary cirrhosis

Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) is a debilitating autoimmune condition associated with a constellation of extrahepatic inflamma- tory manifestations accentuating its morbidity and mortality. Pericarditis and pericardial effusion had been rarely associated with and inadequately characterized in PBC. We present a challen- ging case of inflammatory pericarditis and life-threatening massi- ve pericardial effusion in a 49 year old patient with PBC. This com- plication should be more recognized and appropriately treated to avoid progression to cardiac tamponade. (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2012, 75, 354-356).