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Recurrent pericarditis: a rare complication of allergen immunotherapy
S Quirce1, M Fernandez Rivas, E Losada
1Servicio de Alergia, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
Allergy
|August 1, 1992
Summary
A woman experienced recurrent pericarditis during grass and olive pollen immunotherapy. This rare side effect, linked to allergen injections and eosinophilia, has not been previously reported.
Area of Science:
- Allergy and Immunology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Allergen immunotherapy is a common treatment for allergic rhinitis.
- Pericarditis is inflammation of the sac around the heart, often idiopathic or viral.
Observation:
- A 29-year-old woman with hay fever developed recurrent pericarditis during immunotherapy with an alum-adsorbed pollen extract.
- Episodes of pericarditis correlated with allergen injections and were accompanied by blood eosinophilia.
Findings:
- Causal relationship established between allergen immunotherapy and acute pericarditis.
- Negative blood cultures and serological tests ruled out infection.
- No evidence of autoimmune disease or systemic vasculitis.
Implications:
- This case suggests a potential, previously unreported adverse effect of allergen immunotherapy.
- Highlights the importance of considering immunotherapy as a potential trigger for pericarditis in allergic patients.
- May prompt further investigation into the immunological mechanisms linking allergen exposure to cardiac inflammation.
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