PLEUROPERICARDITIS COMPLICATED BY TAMPONA DE, REVEALING A MIXED CONNECTIVE-TISSUE DISEASE RESPONDING TO NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS- A CASE-REPORT

Mixed connective tissue diseases or Sharp's syndrome are inflammatory diseases essentially presenting in the form of joint, muscle and skin manifestations. Pleuropericardial involvement is uncommon and rarely t he presenting sign, and tamponade is exceptional. This clinical report concerns a case of pleuropericarditis complicated by tamponade in a 2 2-year-old man, constituting the presenting sign of Sharp's syndrome. The diagnosis of mixed connective tissue disease was based on the comb ination of clinical signs and a high serum anti-RNP antinuclear antibo dy titre. The treatment of the pericarditis is base on prescription of corticosteroids, but nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were suffic ient in our case. Larger effusions may require corticosteroids and per icardial drainage. We report the Value of immunological assays in the aetiological assessment of pleuropericarditis in young subjects.