Hemorrhagic Pericarditis as a Harbinger of Giant Cell Arteritis Relapse

Pericarditis in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) has been described in literature but is infrequently recognised as an initial manifestation, posing diagnostic challenges.

A 71-year-old male presented with pericarditis as the sole clinical manifestation on a background of previously treated GCA. Despite the absence of hallmark symptoms, he was confirmed to have medium-vessel vasculitis on a fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography scan.

This case highlights the importance of considering pericarditis and pericardial effusions as potential manifestations of GCA even in the absence of typical symptoms to ensure timely management and minimize complications and underscores the need for further data on treatment specific to GCA-related pericarditis.

Pericarditis may be an atypical presenting symptom of GCA, occurring in the absence of typical symptoms. At present, there are limited data on the treatment of GCA-related pericarditis despite its recognition as a manifestation of the disease.