Medical Edge Newspaper Column

It Causes Distinct Chest Pain, But It's Not a Heart Attack - Pericarditis

June 6, 2008
Readers:
It causes distinct chest pain, but it's not a heart attack. Pericarditis is an inflammation of the lining around the heart called the pericardium.

Acute pericarditis typically produces sharp, stabbing chest pain below the breastbone or on the left side of the chest. The pain may spread to the left shoulder or the neck. For some, the chest pain may be a dull ache or pressure, and it may vary in intensity.

Pericarditis may come on suddenly (acute pericarditis), or it may progress over time (chronic pericarditis). In most cases, the cause of the inflammation is difficult to determine. Sometimes, the problem may be attributed to an infection.

Inflammation of the pericardial sac is more likely to occur in men between the ages of 20 and 50, but it can also develop in women and children. Also at risk are people who've had a recent heart attack. Pericarditis may develop days and even weeks later in up to 15 percent of heart attack survivors. They also run the risk of a more serious form of the condition that may develop months after a heart attack.

There's no question that chest pain, even if it's suspected pericarditis, warrants immediate medical care. The symptoms mimic those of a heart attack or a blood clot in the lung, both emergency situations. Diagnostic tests may include an electrocardiogram to measure the heart's impulses.

Mild pericarditis may clear up on its own. Acute pericarditis typically lasts from one to three weeks. The vast majority of people who have an episode of pericarditis recover fully if they're diagnosed and treated promptly.