PERICARDIAL INVOLVEMENT IN CHURG-STRAUSS- SYNDROME

In two patients (24 and 26 years old) with chronic bronchial asthma, a llergic rhinitis, peripheral blood eosinophilia of 48 % and 51 %, resp ectively, mononeuritis multiplex and abnormal erythrocyte sedimentatio n rate, Churg-Strauss syndrome was diagnosed. Acute pericarditis with abnormal ECGs and compensatory sinus tachycardia was documented in bot h cases as a sign of systemic vasculitis. Echocardiography revealed he modynamically relevant pericardial effusions of 1.3 cm and 2.7-3.2 cm leading in one case to slightly diastolic compression of the right ven tricle. The pericardial lesions showed good response to diuretic thera py with furosemide and administration of immunosuppressive agents like cyclophosphamide and azathioprine in combination with corticosteroids . The two presented cases underline that pericardial effusions of hemo dynamic significance can be prominent clinical features of Churg-Strau ss syndrome.