What condition does Dressler's syndrome refer to?

Dressler's syndrome is best described as an autoimmune reaction that occurs after the injury to the heart, such as myocardial infarction (MI). Specifically, it typically presents 2-4 weeks following a heart attack. The syndrome manifests with symptoms including fever, pericarditis, and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), which indicates inflammation.

The timing of the symptoms following an MI is crucial for the diagnosis of Dressler's syndrome. Patients may also exhibit pleuritic chest pain due to inflammation of the pericardium, but the hallmark features are the combination of fever, pericarditis, and the increased ESR. This autoimmune response is thought to be triggered by the body's reaction to myocardial antigens that are released after tissue necrosis.

Understanding this syndrome is particularly relevant for clinicians as it emphasizes the need to differentiate Dressler's syndrome from other post-MI complications, such as post-operative pericarditis or other forms of pericardial effusion. The systemic inflammatory response in Dressler's syndrome underscores the body's immune processes following heart tissue damage.