Dressler Syndrome

Dressler’s syndrome is a form of pericarditis, or inflammation of the pericardium, a tough elastic sac that surrounds your heart. This may happen when your immune system reacts after some type of damage to your heart.

When your pericardium becomes inflamed, it can rub against your heart and cause chest pain. Excess fluid can also build up between your pericardium’s two layers. This puts pressure on your heart.

Dressler’s syndrome can happen after:

• A heart attack (myocardial infarction).
• Heart surgery.
• A heart procedure.
• Chest trauma from an accident or injury.

Dressler’s syndrome usually occurs within one to six weeks after heart surgery or a heart attack, but it can take up to several months for symptoms to develop.

Other names for Dressler’s syndrome include:

• Post-myocardial infarction syndrome.
• Post-cardiac injury syndrome.
• Post-pericardiotomy syndrome.

Who does Dressler’s syndrome affect?

Dressler’s syndrome can happen in people of any age or race, but it appears to be more common in people who are 20 to 50 years old.

Risk factors that make you more likely to get Dressler’s syndrome include:

• Heart attack (myocardial infarction).
• Heart surgery.
• Heart procedure.
• Chest trauma as the result of an accident or injury.
• Previous use of prednisone (Rayos® or Sterapred®).
• Viral infection.
• Previous case of pericarditis.

How common is Dressler’s syndrome?

Dressler’s syndrome is rare, possibly because of medical advances in treating heart attacks. Only 0.1% of people who have a heart attack get Dressler’s syndrome.