Purulent Pericarditis and Mycotic Pseudoaneurysm of the Ascending Aorta: A Case Report.

Concomitant presentation of purulent pericarditis and mycotic pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta is exceedingly uncommon. We present a case of a 63-year-old male who presented to the emergency department after one week of severe neck pain along with pleuritic chest pain. He was found to have purulent pericarditis associated with a 0.9cm pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta. He underwent surgical repair with a bovine pericardial patch as well as mediastinal debridement, which revealed a larger area of necrosis than anticipated based on imaging. Microbiological investigation revealed the presence of Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) in both tissues from the aortic pseudoaneurysm and the pericardial rind.