A NEW CLASSIFICATION FOR PERICARDITIS ASSOCIATED WITH MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION

Acute meningococcal pericarditis is a rare clinical disorder. Our revi ew of the literature disclosed that current classifications are confus ing since they fail to differentiate between two distinct criteria: ti me and causality. We suggest a new classification of the various state s of meningococcal pericarditis on the basis of the pathophysiological process: disseminated meningococcal disease with pericarditis (purule nt, culture-positive, associated with meningococcal bacteraemia); isol ated meningococcal pericarditis (purulent, culture-positive but withou t signs of meningeal or other clinical systemic involvement); and reac tive meningococcal pericarditis (immunological, late-onset, culture-ne gative, resembling post-viral pericarditis). It is essential that clin icians recognize the various states of the disease, since they differ in natural history, treatment and prognosis. Conclusion From personal experience and a literature review it emerges that meningococcal peric arditis should be classified as: (1) Pericarditis as local manifestati on of disseminated meningococcal disease; (2) isolated minengococcal p ericarditis; (3) reactive (immunopathic) meningococcal pericarditis.