[Pyopneumopericardium caused by perforation of gastric ulcer; report of a case].

Pyopneumopericardium caused by transdiaphragmatic perforation of gastric ulcer is very rare. A 60-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of chest pain with high fever. The chest computed tomography (CT) revealed hydropneumopericardium. The patient was diagnosed as purulent pericarditis. So emergent pericardiectomy and pericardial drainage were performed to relieve cardiac tamponade. Two findings enabled us to diagnose the causation of pyopneumopericardium as gastropericardial fistura. The first finding was that endoscopic examination of upper gastrointestinal tract revealed a deep peptic ulcer in the dome of gastric fundus. The second finding was that a dye solution which was injected into the pericardial cavity via the drainage tube leaked out into the gastric cavity through the ulcer. This patient improved successfully by the treatment of intravenous hyperalimentation including antibiotics and omeprazole. We think that expedient diagnosis and surgical drainage are essential for successful patient outcome.