ACTH and Cortisone Therapy of Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Carditis

Pericarditis. Data on the effect of cortisone or ACTH on this serious and obvious manifestation of rheumatic inflammation of the heart have been collected for 64 cases reported by 18 groups of investigators.4–6,11,18–21,24,27,29,30,35–38,40,43,44,46,49 The duration of the pericarditis after the beginning of therapy in these cases (usually indicated by the duration of a pericardial friction rub) is summarized in Table 1.In 6 fatal cases the signs of pericarditis continued until death. However, death occurred in 1 of these within twelve hours and in another within thirty-six hours of the beginning of treatment—long before there had been an opportunity for . . .