title: Aetiological diagnosis in acute and recurrent pericarditis: when and how.
abstract: The cause of acute and recurrent pericarditis is often a major concern for the clinicians in clinical practice. Several possible causes of pericarditis can be listed, as the pericardium may be involved in a large number of systemic disorders or may be diseased, as an isolated process. The reported diagnostic yield of extensive laboratory evaluation and pericardiocentesis is low in the absence of cardiac tamponade or suspected neoplastic, tuberculous, and purulent pericarditis. Patients with pericarditis can be safely managed on an outpatient basis without a thorough diagnostic evaluation unless a specific cause is suspected or the patient has high-risk features, or both. A targeted aetiological search should be directed to the most common cause on the basis of the clinical background, epidemiological issues or specific presentations. In developed countries the clinicians should rule out neoplastic, tuberculous, and purulent pericarditis, as well as pericarditis related to a systemic disease.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Maria Vittoria Hospital, Torino, Italy. massimo_imazio@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imazio
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brucato
authors.forename: Francesco Giuseppe
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Derosa
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lestuzzi
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bombana
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scipione
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leuzzi
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cecchi
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trinchero
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Adler
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000209:etiology; D020519:Pericardiocentesis; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D010495:Pericarditis, Tuberculous / Q000209:etiology; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014218:Triage; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents