GP71 Case series: different aetiologies of childhood pericarditis

Aim This is a study of case series to find out the underlying causes of pericarditis in children presenting to the paediatric ward of a District General Hospital in Ireland. Methods We encountered 4 patients who were diagnosed to have pericarditis in the Department of Paediatrics of Wexford General Hospital between the months of March to July 2018. Their medical records were studied to look for signs and symptoms at initial presentation, investigations carried out in our hospital as well as at the tertiary centre, the management done and outcome. Results The study of medical records of these four patients showed that one of the patients had Non Hodgkin Lymphoma as an underlying cause; in the second patient pericarditis was the presenting feature of systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Rest of the two patients’ cause was unknown and were classified as idiopathic. All four patients had their ECG and echocardiogram done which confirmed the diagnosis of pericarditis. The patients were referred to the tertiary cardiac unit for further management. 2 cases with idiopathic pericarditis did improve with few weeks of treatment with ibuprofen and the other two cases received treatment for the underlying conditions which resulted in the improvement of the symptoms and sings related to pericarditis and the underlying illnesses. Discussion This showed that the most common cause of pericarditis in paediatric age group is idiopathic which is in accordance with the published literature. The other causes found were secondary to malignancy and rheumatological condition. The symptoms and signs of pericarditis did improve with ibuprofen and commencement of treatment of the underlying causes. Conclusion The most common cause of pericarditis in paediatric population is idiopathic. The outcome is dependent upon the underlying causes and is generally favourable.