RECURRENT PERICARDITIS IN A PATIENT WITH CROHNS-DISEASE - AN EXTRAINTESTINAL MANIFESTATION OF THE BOWEL-DISEASE OR A MESALAZINE-INDUCED COMPLICATION

Although Crohn's disease can be responsible for numerous extraintestin al manifestations, acute pericarditis is exceedingly rare in the cours e of inflammatory bowel disease. Sulfasalazine and 5-amino salicylate (mesalazine) have been incriminated in a few cases, A case of recurren t pericarditis during an inaugural bout of Crohn's disease is reported . Whether this manifestation was due to the bowel disease, to mesalazi ne therapy, or to recurrent idiopathic pericarditis is discussed.