title: Colchicine for large pericardial effusion.
abstract: On the basis of our reported experience with colchicine for recurrent pericarditis, we administered colchicine to two patients with large pericardial effusions complicating idiopathic pericarditis. The first was a 26-year-old male who showed clinical deterioration following emergency pericardiocentesis and aspirin (3 g/day) for 10 days; the second was a 2-year-old girl who was unsuccessfully treated with aspirin (100 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks, followed by corticosteroids for 7 months. Administration of colchicine (1 mg/day) instead of aspirin in the first case, and with a rapid tapering-off of the corticosteroids in the second case, led to complete regression of the pericardial effusion on echocardiography within 1 week and 1 month, respectively. Colchicine was discontinued after 1 month in the first patient and was continued for 6 months in the child. Neither has had a recurrence at 24 and 6 months of follow-up, respectively. No side effects of colchicine were observed. We conclude that colchicine may be effective in the treatment of large pericardial effusion when therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and/or corticosteroids fails.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guindo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khouri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Assali
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bayes-Genis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bayes de Luna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003078:Colchicine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006074:Gout Suppressants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000150:complications; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D006074:Gout Suppressants; D003078:Colchicine