Elevated troponin i in 69 cases of acute pericarditis

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and sig nificance of troponin i (tni) elevation in acute pericarditis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively included 69 patients with acute id iopathic pericarditis. We analyzed ECC recordings, echocardiography finding s and tni level. Thirty-four patients (49%) had detectable tni (> 0.5 ng/ml ), 15 (22%) had a significantly elevated level (> 1.5 ng/ml). There was a s ignificant correlation between elevated tni level and ST elevation. All pat ients were well at one year. CONCLUSIONS: A rise in tni is frequently observed during acute idiopathic p ericarditis. According to the correlation with ST segment elevation, a rise in tni is apparently indicative of superficial myocardial damage. The prog nostic value remains unknown.