Acute meningococcal pericarditis is a rare clinical disorder. Our review of the literature disclosed that current classifications are confusing since they fail to differentiate between two distinct criteria: time and causality. We suggest a new classification of the various states of meningococcal pericarditis on the basis of the pathophysiological process: disseminated meningococcal disease with pericarditis (purulent, culture-positive, associated with meningococcal bacteraemia); isolated meningococcal pericarditis (purulent, culture-positive but without signs of meningeal or other clinical systemic involvement); and reactive meningococcal pericarditis (immunological, late-onset, culture-negative, resembling post-viral pericarditis). It is essential that clinicians recognize the various states of the disease, since they differ in natural history, treatment and prognosis. CONCLUSION: From personal experience and a literature review it emerges that meningococcal pericarditis should be classified as: (1) Pericarditis as local manifestation of disseminated meningococcal disease; (2) isolated meningococcal pericarditis; (3) reactive (immunopathic) meningococcal pericarditis.
%0 Journal Article
%1 finkelstein_new_1997
%A Finkelstein, Y
%A Adler, Y
%A Nussinovitch, M
%A Varsano, I
%A Amir, J
%D 1997
%J European Journal of Pediatrics
%K Adolescent, Adult, Child, Female, Humans, Infant, Infections, Male, Meningococcal Pericarditis Preschool,
%N 8
%P 585--588
%T A new classification for pericarditis associated with meningococcal infection
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9266185
%V 156
%X Acute meningococcal pericarditis is a rare clinical disorder. Our review of the literature disclosed that current classifications are confusing since they fail to differentiate between two distinct criteria: time and causality. We suggest a new classification of the various states of meningococcal pericarditis on the basis of the pathophysiological process: disseminated meningococcal disease with pericarditis (purulent, culture-positive, associated with meningococcal bacteraemia); isolated meningococcal pericarditis (purulent, culture-positive but without signs of meningeal or other clinical systemic involvement); and reactive meningococcal pericarditis (immunological, late-onset, culture-negative, resembling post-viral pericarditis). It is essential that clinicians recognize the various states of the disease, since they differ in natural history, treatment and prognosis. CONCLUSION: From personal experience and a literature review it emerges that meningococcal pericarditis should be classified as: (1) Pericarditis as local manifestation of disseminated meningococcal disease; (2) isolated meningococcal pericarditis; (3) reactive (immunopathic) meningococcal pericarditis.
@article{finkelstein_new_1997,
abstract = {Acute meningococcal pericarditis is a rare clinical disorder. Our review of the literature disclosed that current classifications are confusing since they fail to differentiate between two distinct criteria: time and causality. We suggest a new classification of the various states of meningococcal pericarditis on the basis of the pathophysiological process: disseminated meningococcal disease with pericarditis (purulent, culture-positive, associated with meningococcal bacteraemia); isolated meningococcal pericarditis (purulent, culture-positive but without signs of meningeal or other clinical systemic involvement); and reactive meningococcal pericarditis (immunological, late-onset, culture-negative, resembling post-viral pericarditis). It is essential that clinicians recognize the various states of the disease, since they differ in natural history, treatment and prognosis. {CONCLUSION:} From personal experience and a literature review it emerges that meningococcal pericarditis should be classified as: (1) Pericarditis as local manifestation of disseminated meningococcal disease; (2) isolated meningococcal pericarditis; (3) reactive (immunopathic) meningococcal pericarditis.},
added-at = {2011-03-11T10:05:34.000+0100},
author = {Finkelstein, Y and Adler, Y and Nussinovitch, M and Varsano, I and Amir, J},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2d1feac20ac029180b775084ee0aca78e/jelias},
interhash = {86cab70502d68d329654e5f1b6c2f879},
intrahash = {d1feac20ac029180b775084ee0aca78e},
issn = {0340-6199},
journal = {European Journal of Pediatrics},
keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Child, Female, Humans, Infant, Infections, Male, Meningococcal Pericarditis Preschool,},
month = aug,
note = {{PMID:} 9266185},
number = 8,
pages = {585--588},
timestamp = {2011-03-11T10:05:53.000+0100},
title = {A new classification for pericarditis associated with meningococcal infection},
url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9266185},
volume = 156,
year = 1997
}