Severe pericarditis as a presenting sign of bronchogenic carcinoma.

An exudative pericarditis was the only sign of an adenocarcinoma arising from the right main bronchus of the lung for two and a half months. No metastases were found at the time of diagnosis. Pericarditis relapsed quickly after repeated pericardiocenteses, and systemic chemotherapy did not influence its course. Cardiac tamponade caused the death of the patient.