Colchicine administration (1 mg/day) led to complete regression of large pericardial effusions within 1 week to 1 month in two patients who had failed prior NSAID or corticosteroid therapy.
Case Report (n=2)
On the basis of our reported experience with colchicine for recurrent pericarditis, we administered colchicine to two patients with large pericardial effusions complicating idiopathic pericarditis. The first was a 26-year-old male who showed clinical deterioration following emergency pericardiocentesis and aspirin (3 g/day) for 10 days; the second was a 2-year-old girl who was unsuccessfully treated with aspirin (100 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks, followed by corticosteroids for 7 months. Administration of colchicine (1 mg/day) instead of aspirin in the first case, and with a rapid tapering-off of the corticosteroids in the second case, led to complete regression of the pericardial effusion on echocardiography within 1 week and 1 month, respectively. Colchicine was discontinued after 1 month in the first patient and was continued for 6 months in the child. Neither has had a recurrence at 24 and 6 months of follow-up, respectively. No side effects of colchicine were observed. We conclude that colchicine may be effective in the treatment of large pericardial effusion when therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and/or corticosteroids fails.
Adler et al. (Sun,) conducted a case report in large pericardial effusion complicating idiopathic pericarditis (n=2). Colchicine was evaluated on complete regression of the pericardial effusion on echocardiography. Colchicine administration (1 mg/day) led to complete regression of large pericardial effusions within 1 week to 1 month in two patients who had failed prior NSAID or corticosteroid therapy.