Triggers:
(1) cardiac surgery
(2) cardiac trauma, including chest stab wound and blunt trauma
(3) after myocardial infarction (Dressler's syndrome, see above)
(4) penetration of the right ventricle by a cardiac catheter
Onset: from 1 week up to 1 year after the event
Recurrent episodes may occur for up to 2 years after onset.
Clinical features:
(1) acute febrile illness, up to 40°C
(2) pleural or pericardial chest pain
(3) pneumonitis
(4) arthralgias
(5) rarely signs of pericardial tamponade
Imaging findings:
(1) pericardial effusion
Laboratory findings:
(1) leukocytosis
(2) elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and/or C-reactive protein (CRP)
(3) if drained the pericardial fluid has a negative Gram stain and culture
Differential diagnosis:
(1) infectious endocarditis
(2) viral pericarditis
(3) other forms of pericarditis
