Pericarditis in Children : Symposium III Pericarditis

The clinical study of 24 patients with pericarditis has been presented. 2. In this series the patients were predominantly female. 3. Collagen disease was the most common cause followed by idiopathic pericarditis. Rheumatic and tuberculous pericarditis were rare. 4. Rheumatic anc tuberculous pericarditis were rare. 5. Three cases of constrictive pericarditis were presented in this series. Two were with atrial septal defect and one was tuberculous pericarditis. 6. Recognition of the right ventricular "dip" and platear curve by cardiac catheterization is necessary for the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis. 7. In constrictive pericarditis right ventricular "dip" and platear curve remained longer after the operation of pericardiectomy. 8. THe typical physical findings were fever, cardiomegaly, hepatomegaly and tachycardia. 9. Right side cardiac faulure was more common than left side failure. 10. Friction rub, distant cardiac sound and paradoxical pulse were less common than it has been thought. No specific laboratory finding was present. 12. None of the cases revealed elevated virus titer. 13. Most of the patients revealed enlarged cardiac silhouette in chest X-ray. 14. The electrocardiographic changes were low voltage, ST segment elevation and T wave abnormality. 15. The ST segment elevation was seen in all standard leads, especially in aVF and from V2 to V6. 16. The abonormal T wave vector oriented to superiorly posteriorly and to right or left. 17. The presence of abonormal T wave suggests myocardial involvement. 18. In some cases T wave abonormality persists after the echocardiographic disappearance of pericardial fluid. 19. Arrhythmia was rare except constrictive pericarditis.