[Benign acute pericarditis: choice of treatment?]

101 cases of acute benign pericarditis covering a period of 18 years are reported, and it is stressed that 80% of patients who relapsed had been treated with corticosteroids. It was also found that corticotherapy did not favourably influence the evolution of the tamponade risk, the persistence of cardiomegaly or pericardic constriction. It is concluded that, except for a few well-defined indications, corticotherapy is to be avoided in the treatment of acute benign pericarditis because of the high risk of recurrence. Some suggestions regarding the indications for corticotherapy are presented.