Pericarditis; post-MI

Alternative names:

Dressler's syndrome; post-cardiac injury syndrome; post-MI pericarditis; postcardiotomy pericarditis

Definition:

A disorder caused by inflammation of the pericardium (the sac-like covering of the heart) resulting from previous injury to the heart muscle that causes blood to be present in the pericardial sac.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Post-MI pericarditis may occur within 2 to 5 days after an acute MI (heart attack), or it may occur as much as 11 weeks later. Dressler's syndrome is a post-MI pericarditis that develops weeks to several months after MI or open heart surgery. Dressler's syndrome may have repeated episodes of symptoms.

It may also follow open heart surgery, stab wounds to the heart, or blunt chest trauma.

Post-MI pericarditis is caused by inflammatory response to blood in the pericardial sac or necrotic (dead or severely damaged) tissue in the heart muscle. Pain occurs when the inflamed pericardium rubs on the heart.

Post-MI pericarditis occurs in approximately 4 out of 100,000 people. Risks include previous heart attack, open heart surgery, or chest trauma.