Meningococcal pericarditis in a 2-year-old child: reactive or infectious?
Pericarditis is an uncommon manifestation of infection of Neisseria meningitidis. Pericarditis may be caused by direct invasion or immune-complex-mediated (reactive) inflammation. We outline the case of a two-year-old girl with probable reactive pericarditis, review the cases reported in the English literature since 1966 and discuss the pathogenesis of meningococcal pericarditis.
Beggs
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Department of General Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Marks
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D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction