Acute Pericarditis Produced by Psicofuranine, a Nucleoside Analogue

PERICARDITIS can appear in man in the course of certain biochemical disorders. These disorders are characterized by the production or retention of substances assumed to be capable of producing pericarditis through a toxic or hypersensitive mechanism. Thus, uremia, rheumatic fever, lupus erythematosus and horse-serum sickness1 , 2 may all be accompanied by pericarditis. The concept that the last three represent disorders of immunologic response is widely held.3 Although the causes of uremia are diverse, retention of toxic metabolite (or metabolites) is widely considered the pathogenesis common to all forms.3 In addition, several drugs have been reported occasionally to produce pericarditis4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 when administered . . .