Recurrent nature of acute benign pericarditis.

Abstract

Despite the extensive literature relating to acute benign pericarditis and the observation of recurrent attacks by various writers, 1 the high incidence and the frequency of recurrences in this illness have not been stressed. It is the purpose of this paper to emphasize this point by presenting a detailed report of one patient and summarized data for eight patients, in whom such episodes of acute benign pericarditis occurred (see the accompanying table). The following case, in which the largest number of recurrences was observed, is presented as an example of this group. REPORT OF A CASE F. J. G., a 27-year-old white woman, a registered nurse, was admitted to the hospital on July 21, 1950, with the chief complaint of sudden onset of severe substernal and precordial pain, accentuated by inspiration and by lying in the supine position but not increased by swallowing. She had her first attack of such