Article

[Pericarditis as the presenting manifestation of giant cell arteritis].

Salle Le-Tallec, service de médecine interne, université Paul-Sabatier, CHU de Toulouse-Purpan, place du Docteur-Baylac, TSA 40031, Toulouse cedex, France.
La Revue de Médecine Interne (impact factor: 0.61). 11/2009; 31(1):46-8. DOI:10.1016/j.revmed.2009.05.005 pp.46-8
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Pericarditis is rarely the presenting manifestation of giant cell arteritis. We report two additional patients.
Two patients aged over 70 years presented with acute chest pain. Echocardiography evidenced a pericarditis. Laboratory features showed increased level of acute phase reactants. On questioning, both patients had cephalic symptoms related to giant cell arteritis. Temporal artery biopsy histopathology was characteristic of giant cell arteritis in both. Oral prednisone therapy (20mg/D) led to a complete remission with no clinical relapse of pericarditis after a follow-up of one year and three years, respectively.
Giant cell arteritis must be evoked in elderly patients with pericarditis because corticosteroids are necessary to avoid ischemic complications of the disease. However, fortuitous association can also be considered. No severe complication of pericarditis has been reported in the literature on corticosteroid therapy.

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Keywords

acute chest pain
 
clinical relapse
 
complete remission
 
corticosteroid therapy
 
corticosteroids
 
elderly patients
 
fortuitous association
 
Giant cell arteritis
 
ischemic complications
 
Laboratory features
 
Oral prednisone therapy
 
patients
 
pericarditis
 
presenting manifestation
 
Temporal artery biopsy histopathology
 

G Moulis