Acute and Recurrent Pericarditis

Cardiol Clin. 2017 Nov;35(4):505-513. doi: 10.1016/j.ccl.2017.07.004.

Abstract

Acute and recurrent pericarditis is the most common pericardial syndrome encountered in clinical practice either as an isolated process or as part of a systemic disease. The diagnosis is based on clinical evaluation, electrocardiogram, and echocardiography. The empiric therapy is based on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs plus colchicine as first choice, resorting to corticosteroids for specific indications (eg, systemic inflammatory disease on corticosteroids, pregnancy, renal failure, concomitant oral anticoagulants), for contraindications or failure of the first-line therapy. The most common complication is recurrence, occurring in up to 30% of cases after a first episode of pericarditis.

Keywords: Diagnosis; Pericarditis; Prognosis; Therapy.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use*
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / therapeutic use*
  • Aspirin / therapeutic use
  • Chest Pain / etiology
  • Colchicine / therapeutic use*
  • Echocardiography
  • Electrocardiography
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use*
  • Pericardial Effusion / etiology
  • Pericardiectomy*
  • Pericarditis / complications
  • Pericarditis / diagnosis
  • Pericarditis / therapy*
  • Prognosis
  • Recurrence
  • Risk Assessment
  • Secondary Prevention
  • Tubulin Modulators / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Tubulin Modulators
  • Aspirin
  • Colchicine