Effects of oral colchicine administration as first-lineadjuncttherapyin myopericarditis.

Abstract

Although current guidelines recommend routine use of oral colchicine as afirst-lineadjunct therapy to aspirin/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for acute and recurrent pericarditis, there are insufficient data to recommend routine use of colchicine for the initial management of myopericarditis. The records of 194patients who were admitted for myopericarditis were investigated retrospectively. Patients receiving oral colchicine (n = 33) as an adjunctto aspirin/NSAIDs comprised the study group and patients who received conventional therapy (n = 31) formed the control group. Plasma C‑reactive protein (CRP) levels, cardiac biomarkers, and several electrocardiographic parameters of atrial activation were evaluated before the start of treatment and at the 6‑month follow-up. Assessments before and after treatment with regard to cardiac biomarkers and plasma CRP levels showed improvements in both groups (p > 0.05). There were statistically significant improvements in Pwave indices including Pwave duration, PR interval length, Pwave dispersion, Pterminal force, and isoelectric interval in the colchicine therapy group compared with the control group (p < 0.01). Routine use of colchicine for the initial management of myopericarditis as afirst-line adjunct therapy to aspirin/NSAIDs in patients with myopericarditis has favorable effects on electrocardiographic indices of atrial activation parameters.