THE ETIOLOGIC diagnosis of acute pericarditis is at times difficult and expensive from the time and financial standpoint. Likewise, prognosis may be greatly affected when an etiology is discovered which previously had been unsuspected. Of such a nature is the case to be presented here.
REPORT OF CASE
A 35-year-old Negro mail-truck driver entered the hospital for his first admission with a chief complaint of fever of one month's duration. The patient had been completely well until two months before admission, at which time he noted the onset of a nonproductive cough not associated with pain. A chest x-ray at this time was interpreted as normal. These symptoms continued in progressive fashion until about a month before admission, when the development of low-grade fever sent him to his local physician, who treated him with penicillin. However, he continued to have fever (temperature to 101 F) daily. The penicillin had no