The changing aetiological spectrum of pericarditis in children.

The aetiologies, clinical features and follow-up data of 62 children with pericarditis admitted to a university hospital during a 6-year period were retrospectively assessed. Uraemic pericarditis was the most frequent and infections the second most frequent cause. In this series, the proportion of children with purulent pericarditis is less than in previous reports from developing countries.