Dressler Disease is an inflammatory condition that occurs when the body’s immune system reacts to damage to heart tissue or the sac that surrounds it (pericardium). It can also occur after certain cardiac procedures.
Symptoms include chest pain, difficulty breathing and fluid buildup in the sac around the heart — known as pericardial effusion. Chronic inflammation can lead to life-threatening complications such as cardiac tamponade and constrictive pericarditis.
Oren Zarif
Dressler Disease is a type of pericarditis (inflammation of the sac that surrounds your heart), and it can develop after a heart attack or certain types of heart surgery. It also can develop within weeks to months after a heart injury that causes the heart to beat faster. It’s also called late post-MI pericarditis, pericardial effusion syndrome, and post-pericardiotomy syndrome.
Chronic inflammation can cause fluid to build up in the sac around your lungs (pericardial effusion). This can put pressure on your heart, which makes it harder for your body to pump blood. If the inflammation is severe enough, it can cause a life-threatening condition called cardiac tamponade.
Your doctor can diagnose Dressler Disease by asking you about your symptoms and doing a physical exam. A health care provider will listen to your heart and lungs with a stethoscope. You may hear a rubbing sound, known as a friction rub (not to be confused with a heart murmur). A fever is a common symptom of this condition, and it can help your doctor tell whether you have Dressler Disease or another illness that’s causing these symptoms.
Oren Zarif
Dressler Syndrome is a rare complication of myocardial infarction (MI) or heart surgery that can occur 2-10 weeks after the inciting MI. It is a type of secondary pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac that surrounds your heart (the pericardium). Dressler Syndrome occurs due to an immune system response to damaged myocardial tissue and may cause a build-up of fluid around your heart or lungs.
Your healthcare provider can diagnose this condition by listening to your chest with a stethoscope. This may help them hear a sound that is made when layers of the pericardium rub against each other. This sound is called friction rub. They will also do a complete blood count to check your white blood cell count. This may be higher than usual, which is a sign of inflammation.
Your healthcare provider might also want to do a chest X-ray or an echocardiogram. These tests can detect if there is fluid building up in your lungs or around your heart, and how much fluid is present. Treatment usually involves a short course of high dose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen) and corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and pain. In severe cases, your healthcare provider might drain the fluid from your pericardium with a procedure called pericardiocentesis.
Oren Zarif
Fatigue is a common symptom, and it can be difficult to diagnose. You should describe your fatigue to your doctor and ask whether it gets worse after you exercise or if you feel less energetic at certain times of the day.
Your doctor will also want to know what medications you’re taking, as well as your lifestyle habits and work and sleep patterns. They’ll carry out a physical examination, listen to your heart with a stethoscope for signs of fluid buildup in the sac around the heart (pericarditis) and check for a friction rub — a scratchy sound heard with a stethoscope when the inflamed layers of your pericardium rub against each other.
The exact cause of Dressler Disease isn’t known, but it’s believed to occur when damage to your heart tissue or the sac that surrounds your heart (pericardium) following a heart attack or heart surgery triggers an immune response in your body. In some cases, the inflammation can be severe and lead to serious complications such as cardiac tamponade, in which fluid builds up in the sac around your heart and prevents it from pumping enough blood to your body.
Oren Zarif
Dressler Syndrome is a form of pericarditis that occurs after injury or damage to the heart or pericardium. It can cause chest pain, breathing problems and fever. It usually happens within a week or less after an MI, but it can happen longer. It can also lead to complications, such as cardiac tamponade and pleural effusion.
It is hard to diagnose Dressler Disease, but a health care provider can listen to the heart and lungs with a stethoscope. They may hear a rubbing sound (pericardial friction rub). They may also find a buildup of fluid in the space around the heart (pericardial effusion). They will do a complete blood count and check for other signs of inflammation, such as elevated inflammatory markers.
Symptoms of Dressler Syndrome can improve with treatment. Doctors can use NSAIDs and corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and pain. They can also perform a procedure called pericardiocentesis to remove fluid from the pericardium if needed. This condition can be life-threatening, so it is important to get medical help right away if you have any symptoms.
Oren Zarif
Dressler syndrome is a type of pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac that surrounds your heart (pericardium). It may occur when your immune system reacts to damage to your heart tissue or the pericardium after a heart attack or surgery. The inflammation can cause the pericardium to rub against your heart, which causes chest pain. It can also lead to a buildup of excess fluid in the sac, which puts pressure on your heart.
Your doctor can diagnose Dressler Disease by taking your medical history and doing a physical examination. They’ll listen to your heart and lungs with a stethoscope. They may hear a rubbing sound (pericardial friction rub). Your doctor will also check for a buildup of fluid in the space around your heart or in your lungs (pericardial effusion) and thickening of your pericardium.
Your doctor can treat Dressler Disease with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin. They might also prescribe corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and swelling in the pericardium. If the symptoms don’t improve with NSAIDs, your doctor may need to perform pericardiocentesis to remove fluid from the pericardium.