• Gaetano Pergola, Angelina Cascone, and Michele Russo.
• Department of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Italy.
• Infez Med. 2010 Mar 1; 18 (1): 48-52.

AbstractInfection due to protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is highly prevalent among humans throughout the world. Acquired primary infection is seldom severe in immunocompetent people while it can be life-threatening in immunodeficient ones. We report a case of acquired toxoplasmosis in an immunocompetent healty 32-year-old man, presenting as acute pericarditis and myocarditis. The patient complained of intense chest pain, asthenia, arthralgia, low-grade fever, neck lymphadenopathy. Increased seric cardiac enzymes, electrocardiografic anomalies of repolarization and the presence of pericardic effusion on echocardiogram needed anti-inflammatory and anti-arrhythmic drugs and a close monitoring. The aetiological diagnosis, supported by serological tests positive for toxoplasmosis, recommended an antibiotic therapy as additional treatment (spiramycin 9MU/day for one month). Full symptoms remission and normalization of serological values suggested, however, that no more effective anti-protozoan treatment was needed. Thus, the infection by Toxoplasma gondii should be taken into account in the aetiology of either acute pericarditis or myocarditis, because a specific treatment is available, which can improve on the prognosis of the disease.

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