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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Sterile Pericarditis in Aachener Minipigs As a Model for Atrial Myopathy and Atrial Fibrillation

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Published on: September 24, 2021

Steroid induced atrial fibrillation.

Fahad M Iqbal¹, Permanand S Beeharilal, Kamel Sadat

¹Department of Internal Medicine, St. Joseph Hospital, 2900 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60657, USA. fmiqbal@sbcglobal.net

Comprehensive Therapy

|October 7, 2008

Summary

A patient experienced new-onset atrial fibrillation after receiving high-dose steroids for Crohn's disease. The heart rhythm abnormality resolved spontaneously, but the cause remains unclear.

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Sterile Pericarditis in Aachener Minipigs As a Model for Atrial Myopathy and Atrial Fibrillation

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Area of Science:

Cardiology
Gastroenterology
Pharmacology

Background:

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition.
Corticosteroids like methylprednisolone are used to manage Crohn's disease flares.
Cardiac arrhythmias are potential adverse effects of medications.

Observation:

A 72-year-old female with Crohn's disease developed atrial fibrillation.
The atrial fibrillation occurred shortly after administration of intravenous methylprednisolone.
The rapid ventricular response was 111 beats per minute.

Findings:

The atrial fibrillation spontaneously resolved within 7 hours.
The specific arrhythmogenic mechanism linking methylprednisolone to atrial fibrillation in this case is undetermined.
This case highlights a potential, though rare, adverse cardiac event associated with corticosteroid therapy.

Implications:

Further investigation may be warranted to elucidate the link between corticosteroids and atrial fibrillation.
Clinicians should be aware of potential cardiac side effects when prescribing steroids for inflammatory conditions.
This observation could inform risk-benefit assessments for steroid treatment in susceptible patients.