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American Academy of Pediatrics
In Brief

Pericarditis

Christina Cartaya Blanco, Jillian Bandler Parekh and Henry M. Adam
Pediatrics in Review February 2010, 31 (2) 83-84; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.31-2-83
Christina Cartaya Blanco
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Jillian Bandler Parekh
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Henry M. Adam
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  1. Christina Cartaya Blanco, MD
  2. Jillian Bandler Parekh, MD
  1. Children's Hospital at Montefiore Bronx, NY

    Suggested Reading

      1. Lange RA,
      2. Hills DL
      Acute Pericarditis. Lange RA, Hills DL. N Engl J Med. 2004;351:2195–2202
      OpenUrlCrossRefPubMed
      1. Troughton RW,
      2. Craig RA,
      3. Klein AL
      Pericarditis. Troughton RW, Craig RA, Klein AL. Lancet. 2004;363:717–727
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      1. Rheuban K
      1. Emmanouilides GC,
      2. Riemenschneider TA,
      3. Allen HD,
      4. Gutgesell HP
      Diseases of the Pericardium. Rheuban K. In: Emmanouilides GC, Riemenschneider TA, Allen HD, Gutgesell HP, eds. Moss and Adams’ Heart Disease in Infants, Children, and Adolescents. 5th ed.Baltimore, Md: Williams & Wilkins; 1995:1531–1540
    • Author Disclosure

      Drs Blanco and Parekh have disclosed no financial relationships relevant to this In Brief. This commentary does not contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device.

    The pericardium encloses most of the heart, the ascending aorta, the pulmonary trunk, and the terminal segment of the venae cavae. Serving primarily to anchor the heart in the central thorax and reduce its contact with surrounding structures, the pericardium is composed of two layers, a serous visceral layer adherent to the heart and a fibrous parietal layer. The space between the two layers is lubricated by a small amount of clear fluid, an ultrafiltrate of plasma. The pericardium receives its blood supply from the internal mammary arteries and is innervated by the phrenic nerves.

    Acute pericarditis is an inflammatory condition that can arise from a wide variety of causes, most commonly infection, autoimmune disease, rheumatic fever, uremia, malignancy, as a reaction to a drug, or after cardiac surgery. Up to one third of cases have no identifiable cause and are considered idiopathic.

    Viral infection is the most common cause of pericarditis in children. In most cases, patients report a 10- to 14-day prodrome of respiratory or gastrointestinal illness. Coxsackievirus, echovirus, adenovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, influenza virus, and human immunodeficiency virus are some of the most common responsible agents. Patients who have viral pericarditis present with fever and chest pain, and most have a friction rub. Viral pericarditis, unlike the other infectious disorders, often is accompanied by myocarditis.

    Bacterial pericarditis, although less common, is associated with a higher …

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    In this issue

    Pediatrics in Review: 31 (2)
    Pediatrics in Review
    Vol. 31, Issue 2
    1 Feb 2010
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    Pericarditis
    Christina Cartaya Blanco, Jillian Bandler Parekh
    Pediatrics in Review Feb 2010, 31 (2) 83-84; DOI: 10.1542/pir.31-2-83

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    Pericarditis
    Christina Cartaya Blanco, Jillian Bandler Parekh
    Pediatrics in Review Feb 2010, 31 (2) 83-84; DOI: 10.1542/pir.31-2-83
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