[Postcardiotomy syndrome outside a cardiosurgical clinic]

Postcardiotomy syndrome (PCTS) is an idiopathic inflammatory disease affecting pericardium and pleura; it complicates the postoperative period in cardiosurgery. High efficiency of corticosteroid therapy suggests autoimmune nature of PCTS. As a rule, this condition develops within two weeks after surgery although cases of its delayed onset (after 1 year) were reported too. PCTS may proceed both as an acute disease and as a mild disorder characterized by general inflammation and obscure serositis making difficult its diagnosis. The existence of such "restricted" forms of PCTS is not universally recognized, however glucoocticoids are widely prescribed to patients with this condition.