Recurrent pain without objective evidence of disease in patients with previous idiopathic or viral acute pericarditis.

Recurrent pain without clinical evidence of acute pericarditis was recorded in 27 of 275 patients (9.8%; mean age 55.6 +/- 16.0 years, female/male ratio 20/7) with previous viral or idiopathic acute pericarditis. Female gender (odds ratio [OR] 4.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8 to 10.6), previous use of corticosteroids (OR 5.2, 95% CI 2.2 to 12.3), and previous recurrent pericarditis (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.3 to 10.2) were identified as risk factors for this syndrome. After a mean follow-up of 40 months, a higher recurrence rate was recorded in these patients (33.3% vs 14.1%; p = 0.02) as well as a nonsignificant trend to a higher rate of constrictive pericarditis.