• M Rosa del Fresno, Julio E Peralta, Miguel Ángel Granados, Eugenia Enríquez, Nerea Domínguez-Pinilla, and Jaime de Inocencio.
• Pediatric Rheumatology Unit and m.rosadelfresno@gmail.com.
• Pediatrics. 2014 Nov 1; 134 (5): e1441-6.

AbstractRecurrent pericarditis is a troublesome complication of idiopathic acute pericarditis and occurs more frequently in pediatric patients after cardiac surgery (postpericardiotomy syndrome). Conventional treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, and colchicine is not always effective or may cause serious adverse effects. There is no consensus, however, on how to proceed in those patients whose disease is refractory to conventional therapy. In such cases, human intravenous immunoglobulin, immunosuppressive drugs, and biological agents have been used. In this report we describe 2 patients with refractory recurrent pericarditis after cardiac surgery who were successfully treated with 3 and 5 monthly high-dose (2 g/kg) intravenous immunoglobulin until resolution of the effusion. Our experience supports the effectiveness and safety of this therapy. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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