Acute and recurring pericarditis: More colchicine, less corticosteroids

Acute and recurring pericarditis are frequently encountered clinical entities. Given that severe complications such as tamponade and constrictive pericarditis occur rarely, the majority of patients suffering from acute pericarditis will have a benign clinical course. However, pericarditis recurrence, with its painful symptoms, is frequent. In effect, recent studies have demonstrated a beneficial role of colchicine in preventing recurrence, while also suggesting an increase in recurrences with the use of corticosteroids, the traditional first-line agent. (C) 2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.