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Case Reports
. 2023 May 1;11(5):e7298.
doi: 10.1002/ccr3.7298. eCollection 2023 May.

Pembrolizumab induced pericardial tamponade: A case report

Dariusz Uczkowski  1   2 , Hamza Ashraf  1   2 , Arunabh Sekhri  1   2 , Arbaz Samad  1   2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Pembrolizumab induced pericardial tamponade: A case report

Dariusz Uczkowski et al. Clin Case Rep. .

Abstract

Key clinical message: The occurrence of a large pericardial effusion is not a commonly noted adverse event associated with pembrolizumab and our report demonstrates that a rapid development can be diagnosed with close monitoring and triage to acute medical settings.

Abstract: Pembrolizumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor used in various types of cancers. Pericardial tamponade is a rare side effect reported in only very few case reports. Early recognition and therapeutic intervention is vital in all cases. We report a case of a 54-year-old male with Stage 3 lung adenocarcinoma who developed cardiac tamponade secondary to pembrolizumab and subsequently required pericardial window.

Keywords: immunotherapy; lung adenocarcinoma; pembrolizumab; pericardial tamponade.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare: no support from any organization for the submitted work; no financial relationships with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous 3 years; and no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Coronal view: CT scan of the chest showing large pericardial effusion (blue arrow).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Axial plane: CT scan of chest showing large pericardial effusion (blue arrow).
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Twelve lead EKG showing sinus tachycardia at a rate of 111 beats per minute, and diffuse low‐voltage QRS complexes. EKG, electrocardiogram.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Transthoracic echocardiogram revealing large pericardial effusion.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Echocardiogram revealing near complete resolution of pericardial effusion.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
(A,B) H&E sections show fibroadipose tissue with minimal chronic inflammation. No tumor cells identified. (C,D) TTF‐1 and CK‐7 immunohistochemical stains are negative TTF‐1, thyroid transcription factor‐1, CK‐7, cytokeratin‐7.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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