Pericarditis

When viewing this topic in a different language, you may notice some differences in the way the content is structured, but it still reflects the latest evidence-based guidance.

Evidence last reviewed: 21 Mar 2026
Topic last updated: 21 Jan 2026

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • presencia de factores de riesgo
  • dolor torácico
  • roce pericárdico
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • fiebre
  • mialgias
Full details

Risk factors

  • sexo masculino
  • 20 a 50 años de edad
  • Infarto transmural de miocardio
  • cirugía cardíaca
  • neoplasia
  • infecciones virales y bacterianas
  • uremia o en diálisis
  • enfermedades autoinmunes sistémicas
  • lesión pericárdica
  • radiación mediastínica
Full details

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • electrocardiograma (ECG)
  • troponina sérica
  • pericardiocentesis
  • proteína C-reactiva
  • urea sérica y electrolitos
  • hemograma completo
  • pruebas de función hepática
  • radiografía de tórax
  • ecocardiografía
Full details

Tests to consider

  • hemocultivos
  • velocidad de sedimentación globular
  • creatina-cinasa
  • cribado autoinmune
  • pantalla viral
  • tomografía computarizada (TC) de tórax o resonancia magnética (IRM) cardíaca
  • biopsia pericárdica
Full details

Treatment algorithm

INITIAL

sospecha de pericarditis

ACUTE

idiopática o viral (no purulenta)

no idiopática ni viral (no purulenta)

purulenta

ONGOING

enfermedad recurrente

Contributors

Expert advisers

Shrilla Banerjee, MD, FRCP

Consultant Interventional Cardiologist

East Surrey Hospital

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

UK

Disclosures

SB has received speaker fees for educational lectures (presentation content was her own) and meeting participation from Menarini, Edwards Lifesciences, Abbott Vascular, and Shockwave IVL. She has also participated in an Advisory Board for Sahajanand Medical Technologies Limited. SB has received travel sponsorship from Biosensors International to attend the PCR meeting in Paris in 2022. She has prepared a manuscript on coronary microvascular dysfunction for Abbott for Cardiovascular News (no royalties).

Acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice would like to gratefully acknowledge the previous expert contributors, whose work has been retained in parts of the content:

Resham Baruah MBBS, BSc MRCP, PhD

Consultant Cardiologist

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust

London

UK

Katherine Wu MD

Associate Professor of Medicine

Division of Cardiology

Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

Baltimore

MD

Disclosures

RB has received honoraria/speakers’ fees from Novartis and Boehringer Ingelheim. KW declares that she has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Laura Dobson, MBChB, MD

Consultant Cardiologist

Wythenshawe Hospital

Manchester University Foundation Trust

Manchester

UK

Declarações

LD declares that she has no competing interests.

Créditos aos pareceristas

Os tópicos do BMJ Best Practice são constantemente atualizados, seguindo os desenvolvimentos das evidências e das diretrizes. Os pareceristas aqui listados revisaram o conteúdo pelo menos uma vez durante a história do tópico.

Declarações

As afiliações e declarações dos pareceristas referem--se ao momento da revisão.

Referências

Nossas equipes internas de editoria e de evidências trabalham em conjunto com colaboradores internacionais especializados e pares revisores para garantir que forneçamos acesso às informações o mais clinicamente relevantes possível.

Principais artigos

Adler Y, Charron P, Imazio M, et al. 2015 ESC guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases. Eur Heart J. 2015 Nov 7;36(42):2921-64.Texto completo  Resumo

Chiabrando JG, Bonaventura A, Vecchié A, et al. Management of acute and recurrent pericarditis: JACC state-of-the-art review. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020 Jan 7;75(1):76-92.Texto completo  Resumo

Artigos de referência

Uma lista completa das fontes referenciadas neste tópico está disponível para os usuários com acesso total ao BMJ Best Practice.
  • Pericarditis images
  • Diagnósticos diferenciais

    • Embolia pulmonar
    • Infarto de miocardio o isquemia
    • Neumonía
    Mais Diagnósticos diferenciais
  • Diretrizes

    • 2015 ESC guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases
    • Clinical recommendations for multimodality cardiovascular imaging of patients with pericardial disease
    Mais Diretrizes
  • Folhetos informativos para os pacientes

    Pericarditis

    Mais Folhetos informativos para os pacientes
  • padlock-lockedConectar-se ou assinar para acessar todo o BMJ Best Practice

O uso deste conteúdo está sujeito ao nosso aviso legal