cardiovascular disorders
Pericarditis
Etiology of Pericarditis
 may result from infection, autoimmune or inflammatory disorders, uremia, trauma, Acute Myocardial Infarction (MI) (MI), cancer, radiation therapy, or certain drugs (see table Infectious pericarditis is most often viral or idiopathic. Purulent bacterial pericarditis is uncommon but may follow Infective Endocarditis , Acute myocardial infarction causes 10 to 15% of cases of acute pericarditis. Post-myocardial infarction syndrome (Dressler syndrome) is a less common cause now, occurring mainly when reperfusion with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or thrombolytic drugs is ineffective in patients with transmural infarction. Pericarditis occurs after pericardiotomy (called postpericardiotomy syndrome) in 5 to 30% of cardiac operations. Postpericardiotomy syndrome, post-MI syndrome, and traumatic pericarditis comprise the post-cardiac injury syndrome. Subacute pericarditisis a prolongation of acute pericarditis and thus has the same causes. Some patients have transient constriction occurring days to weeks after recovery from acute pericarditis. Chronic pericarditis with pericardial effusionorchronic constrictive pericarditismay follow acute pericarditis of almost any etiology. In addition, some cases occur without antecedent acute pericarditis. Chronic pericarditis with large effusion (serous, serosanguineous, or bloody) is most commonly caused by metastatic tumors, most often by Lung Carcinoma , Hypothyroidism may cause pericardial effusion and cholesterol pericarditis. Cholesterol pericarditis is a rare disorder that may be associated with myxedema, in which a chronic pericardial effusion has a high level of cholesterol that triggers inflammation and pericarditis. Sometimes no cause of chronic pericarditis is identified. Transient constrictive pericarditisis most commonly caused by infection or postpericardiotomy inflammation or is idiopathic. , sometimes leading to chronic constrictive pericarditis, may follow purulent pericarditis or accompany a connective tissue disorder. In older patients, common causes are malignant tumors, MI, and tuberculosis. Hemopericardium (accumulation of blood within the pericardium) may lead to pericarditis or pericardial fibrosis; common causes include chest trauma, iatrogenic injury (eg, resulting from cardiac catheterization, pacemaker insertion, central venous line placement), and rupture of a Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms . 