Air tamponade and tension pneumopericardium. An unusual complication of subtotal pericardiectomy.

In this report, I shall describe a case of tension pneumopericardium in a patient with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis. The complication developed after pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis. Apparently, the only reasonable source for the pneumopericardium was a small leak from the right bronchial tree, which was the main locus of the tuberculous infection.