A case of refractory uremic pleuropericarditis - successful corticosteroid treatment

We report the case of a patient with uremic pleuropericarditis who showed a marked improvement following corticosteroid therapy. A 66-year-old man who had been on hemodialysis therapy for 13 years was admitted to our hospital presenting with increases in bilateral pleural effusions and pericardial effusion. Repeated thoracentesis showed hemorrhagic and exudative findings. Pleural and pericardial fluid cytologic examination, bacterial culture and acid-fast staining showed negative findings. Despite the administration of antibiotics and antituberculosis drugs, low-grade fever continued and C-reactive protein level remained high. A pleural biopsy revealed fibrinous pleuritis without infectious disease or malignancy. He was diagnosed as having uremic pleuropericarditis on the basis of the clinicopathological features, but had been unresponsive to conventional treatments including repeated thoracentesis and the continuance of hemodiafiltration using nafamostat mesylate. Ultimately, both pleural and pericardial effusions were controlled after the treatment with prednisolone at an initial dose of 50 mg per day. In conclusion, corticosteroid therapy seems to be useful for treating patients with conventional therapy-resistant uremic pleuropericarditis.