Dressler's Syndrome -A secondary form of pericarditis that occurs in the setting
of injury to the heart or the pericardium (the outer lining of the heart).
A postmyocardial infarction syndrome, usually occurring 2 to 5 days after the initial
event but it can be delayed for as long as 3 months. There appears to be an immunological
reaction that leads to pericarditis.
The term Dressler's syndrome is often applied to a similar condition of similar aetiology
that occurs after cardiotomy for open heart surgery and even sometimes after blunt
or penetrating trauma to the chest.
Postcardiac injury syndrome also has been observed after cardiac surgery, percutaneous
intervention, pacemaker implantation, radiofrequency ablation and pulmonary vein
isolation.
Symptoms are likely to appear weeks to months after a heart attack, surgery or other
heart injury.
