Pericarditis history and symptoms

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2]

History and Symptoms

Chest Pain: however, pain is often absent (depending on the type of pericarditis e.g. rheumatoid pericarditis). It is the most common symptom.
- Some causes of pain include: inflammation of the pericardium, phrenic nerves, and nearby pleura.
- Quality of pain: sharp, "sticking", dull, aching, or pressure-like. It can be rated anywhere from 1-10. In the beginning stages, the pain usually starts out as sharp. "Inspiration and cough" can increase the pain so patients usually "sit upright for relief."
Nonproductive cough that elicites pleuritic pain
Productive cough, which usually occurs in the presence of other illness(es)
Hiccup (rarely)
Odynophagia with or without Dysphagia
Faintness and Dizziness (uncommon unless cardiac tamponade is present]]
Chest wall palpitations: causing local tenderness and may be indicative of costochondritis, Tietze syndrome, or rib fractures (in cases of traumatic pericarditis)

The rapidity of onset of symptoms may provide insight into the underlying etiology of pericarditis. For example, both uremic and tuberculosis induced pericarditis develop more slowly and can be undetectable until presenting "as a fever of unknown origin." On the other hand, both bacterial and viral pericarditis develop rapidly and can present as increasing "pain over several hours."