Burkholderia pseudomallei sepsis presenting with pericardial effusion and tamponade.

Severe septicaemia secondary to melioidosis carries a high mortality. Although melioidosis can involve most tissues and organs, pericardial involvement is rare. We report a 40-yearold woman with melioidosis with pericardial involvement but no contiguous pulmonary involvement. She developed acute pericardial tamponade but was successfully treated with surgery and medical therapy. This is the first case in Australia or New Zealand of melioid sepsis presenting with pericarditis and subsequent cardiac tamponade. We review the literature on cardiac involvement in melioidosis.