All issues > Volume 16(4); 1973

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1973;16(4):321-329. Published online April 30, 1973.

Clinical Observation of Pericarditis in Children

Kil Joong Kim¹, Jung Lim Rhee¹, Joong Sik Kim¹, Keun Soo Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, National Medical Center Seoul, Korea

Abstract

27 cases of pericarditis were presented, among which 19 cases were acute pericarditis and 8 cases chronic constrictive pericarditis. Its over all incidence were 0.3% of total admission. Males were more frequently affected than female. The ratio was 20 : 7. In aucte pericarditis, purulent and rheumatic origins were most common, which were followed by tuberculous, idiopathi, postpericardiectomy syndrome and pericarditis due to malignant metastasis in order of frequency. All cases of purulent pericarditis were developed under the 5 year of age, whereas other cases were usually developed over the 5 year of age. In chronic constrictive psricarditis, all cases were developed over the 10 year of age, the causes of which were tuberculous more frequently than idiopathic form. Clinical observations and laboratory examinations were discussed. Acute pericarditis were treated with medical treatment with or without pericardial drainage except one case of tuberculous origin. Pericardiectomy had to be performed in almost all cases of chronic constrictive pericarditis. Autopsy were performed in 6 of 8 cases of hospital death, the main causes of which were congestive heart failure in the majority of death cases. A brief review of the literature was made.

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