title: Pericarditis Epistenocardica or Dressler Syndrome? An Autopsy Case.
abstract: Postinfarction pericarditis can be classified as "early," referred to as pericarditis epistenocardica, or "delayed," referred to as Dressler syndrome. The incidence of postinfarction pericarditis has decreased to <5% since the introduction of reperfusion therapies and limitation of infarct size. We report on a 57-year-old man who suffered sudden cardiac death as a result of acute myocardial infarction. Autopsy revealed an area of previous infarction and fibrinous pericarditis related to the previous infarction, leading to a diagnosis of Dressler syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Via Luciano Armanni 5, 80138 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feola
authors.affiliation: Unit of Histology and Anatomical Pathology, A.O.R.N. "San Giuseppe Moscati", Contrada Amoretta, 83100 Avellino, Italy.
authors.forename: Noè
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: De Stefano
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Via Luciano Armanni 5, 80138 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Della Pietra