Pericardial Effusion and Progressive Bilateral Effusion as Rare Presentations of Idiopathic Hypereosinophilic Syndrome

Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a rare disease with peripheral blood eosinophils >1500/µL and end-organ damage. We encountered a case of idiopathic HES in a woman in her 60s who presented with dyspnea due to cardiac effusion and bilateral pleural effusions. At first, the patient did not have eosinophilia in the peripheral blood, and the presence of serum pericardial fluid and pleural effusion led to suspicion of carcinomatous pericarditis and pleurisy. One month later after onset, eosinophilia in the peripheral blood was observed, and HES was suspected for the first time. However, inflammatory cell infiltration by eosinophils has been observed in the pleural fluid specimen before eosinophilia in the peripheral blood. Prednisolone was administered, and the pleural effusion and respiratory failure quickly abated. This case provided an educational illustration of a unique manifestation of cardiac tamponade and HES, characterized by the absence of peripheral blood eosinophilia at the initial presentation.