Use of Anakinra in steroid dependent recurrent pericarditis: a case report and review of literature

• Main Authors: Vinay Kumar Thallapally, Sonia Gupta, Sai Giridhar Gundepalli, Joseph Nahas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2021-07-01
• Series: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives
• Subjects: anakinra; recurrent pericarditis; interleukin-1 inhibitor
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20009666.2021.1933716

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and colchicine are the cornerstone treatment for recurrent pericarditis. Corticosteroids are frequently used in patients with recurrent episodes of pericarditis. In patients with corticosteroid dependent and corticosteroid-resistant pericarditis, several steroid-sparing options like azathioprine, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and anakinra are being recently tried. In this article, we present the case of a 44-year-old male with recurrent pericarditis, who was successfully treated with anakinra. Abbreviations: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, NSAIDS; Aspirin, ASA; Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, ESR; Serum Protein Electrophoresis, SPEP; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI; C-Reactive Protein, CRP; Aspartate Aminotransferase, AST; Alanine Aminotransferase, ALT; Idiopathic recurrent pericarditis, IRP; Intravenous Immunoglobulin, IVIG.