Abstract
Background: Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium and it is the most common pericardial disease worldwide. Although its normal function is not with such importance to the cardiac function, pericardial diseases can be dramatic for the patients and they can lead to life-threatening complications. Objective: Our aim is to review the published literature that discussed pericarditis and summarize its complications and management. Method: PubMed database was used for articles selection, and the following keywords were used in the Mesh (("pericarditis"[Mesh]) AND ("management"[Mesh]) OR ("evaluation"[Mesh])). Conclusion: In viral or idiopathic cases of pericarditis, the mainstay of medicinal treatment is NSAIDS as first-line therapy and within 2 days after the start of treatment, patients are expected to start feeling better. Colchicine is recommended as a combined drug with NSAIDS in order to optimize the treatment and reduce the recurrence rate. The recent literature is against corticosteroid therapy because it can lead to the delayed resolution of the condition, high recurrence rate, and more side effects.