Corticosteroids for Acute and Recurrent Idiopathic Pericarditis: Unexpected Evidences
Table 3
Baseline clinical characteristics of AIP patients treated with prednisone vs ASA/FANS.
Feature
Prednisone (61)
ASA/FANS (215)
value
Age, y
57 ± 7.1
42 ± 12
<0.001
Female, n (%)
22 (36.1)
67 (31.2)
Thoracic pain, n (%)
59 (96.7)
213 (99.1)
Fever, n (%)
21 (34.4)
81 (37.7)
Cough, n (%)
27 (44.3)
91 (42.3)
Dyspnea, n (%)
22 (36.1)
27 (12.6)
<0.001
Upper respiratory tract infections in the previous 2 weeks, n (%)
33 (54.1)
116 (54)
Diarrhea, n (%)
8 (13.1)
27 (12.6)
Pericardial rub, n (%)
12 (19.7)
92 (42.8)
=0.001
Pleural effusion, n (%)
25 (41)
71 (33)
Pericardial effusion, n (%)
Mild/moderate
17 (28)
121 (56)
<0.001
Severe
44 (72.1)
0 (0)
<0.001
Cardiac tamponade, n (%)
11 (18)
0 (0)
<0.001
Emergency pericardiocentesis n, (%)
7 (11.4)
0 (0)
<0.001
ECG typical changes, n (%)
45 (73.8)
159 (74)
WBC > 103/mm3, n (%)
53 (86.9)
187 (87)
CRP > 2.9 mg/L, n (%)
61 (100)
212 (98.6)
cTnI > 0.045 ng/ml, n (%)
25 (41)
52 (24.2)
=0.012
ESR > 20 mm/h, n (%)
61 (100)
205 (95.3)
Comorbidities†, n (%)
5 (8.1)
0 (0)
<0.001
Values are mean ± SD or n (%). ECG indicates electrocardiogram; WBC, white blood cells; CRP, C-reactive protein; cTnI, cardiac troponin I; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate. value is reported in the table only when it was <0.05. †Comorbidities were Hashimoto’s disease, De Quervain’s thyroiditis, and haemolytic autoimmune anemia.
