title: Recurrent pericarditis after thoracic surgery.
abstract: Acute pericarditis is a frequent complication after cardiac and/or thoracic surgery. Recurrent acute pericarditis with multiple episodes is an uncommon phenomenon, however. Patients typically have chest pain and/or pericardial inflammation as shown by electrocardiography and echocardiography. Treatment presents a clinical challenge due to the condition's rarity and lack of multicenter comparative treatment studies. Numerous therapeutic modalities, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and pericardiectomy, have been used without overwhelming evidence of a standard protocol. We report a case in which 32 episodes of recurrent acute pericarditis occurred, emphasizing the need for multicenter trials comparing therapeutic modalities in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA 31201, USA.
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Parish
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D011241:Prednisone