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Pericardial diseases have gained renewed clinical interest, leading to a renaissance in the field. There have been many recent advances in pericardial diseases in both multimodality cardiac imaging of diagnoses, such as recurrent, transient constrictive and effusive-constrictive pericarditis, and targeted therapeutics, especially anti–interleukin (IL)-1 agents that affect the inflammasome as part of autoinflammatory pathophysiology. There remains a large educational gap for clinicians, leading to variability in evaluation and management of these patients. The latest pericardial imaging (American Society of Echocardiography, European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging) and clinical guidelines (European Society of Cardiology) are >8-10 years of age and may not reflect current practice. Recent clinical trials involving anti–IL-1 agents in recurrent pericarditis, including anakinra (AIRTRIP), rilonacept (RHAPSODY), and goflikicept have demonstrated their efficacy. The present document represents an international position statement from world leaders in the pericardial field, focusing on novel concepts and emphasizing the role of multimodality cardiac imaging as well as new therapeutics in pericardial diseases. • The spectrum of pericardial disorders encompasses pericardial inflammation, effusion, constriction, masses, and congenital anomalies. • MMI plays important an role in the diagnosis, prognostication, and surveillance of pericardial diseases. • Recent advances in biologic therapies, including rilonacept, necessitate IGT strategies to manage pericardial diseases. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Echocardiography is widely used to evaluate left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in patients suspected of heart failure. For patients in sinus rhythm, a combination of several echocardiographic parameters can differentiate between normal and elevated LV filling pressure with good accuracy. However, there is no established echocardiographic approach for the evaluation of LV filling pressure in patients with atrial fibrillation. The objective of the present study was to determine if a combination of several echocardiographic and clinical parameters may be used to evaluate LV filling pressure in patients with atrial fibrillation. Results: In a multicentre study of 148 atrial fibrillation patients, several echocardiographic parameters were tested against invasively measured LV filling pressure as the reference method. No single parameter had sufficiently strong association with LV filling pressure to be recommended for clinical use. Based on univariate regression analysis in the present study, and evidence from existing literature, we developed a two-step algorithm for differentiation between normal and elevated LV filling pressure, defining values ≥ 15 mmHg as elevated. The parameters in the first step included the ratio between mitral early flow velocity and septal mitral annular velocity (septal E/e'), mitral E velocity, deceleration time of E, and peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity. Patients who could not be classified in the first step were tested in a second step by applying supplementary parameters, which included left atrial reservoir strain, pulmonary venous systolic/diastolic velocity ratio, and body mass index. This two-step algorithm classified patients as having either normal or elevated LV filling pressure with 75% accuracy and with 85% feasibility. Accuracy in EF ≥ 50% and EF < 50% was similar (75% and 76%). Conclusions: In patients with atrial fibrillation, no single echocardiographic parameter was sufficiently reliable to be used clinically to identify elevated LV filling pressure. An algorithm that combined several echocardiographic parameters and body mass index, however, was able to classify patients as having normal or elevated LV filling pressure with moderate accuracy and high feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: Pericarditis accounts for up to 5% of emergency department visits for nonischemic chest pain in North America and Western Europe. With appropriate treatment, 70% to 85% of these patients have a benign course. In acute pericarditis, the development of constrictive pericarditis (<0.5%) and pericardial tamponade (<3%) can be life-threatening., Observations: Acute pericarditis is diagnosed with presence of 2 or more of the following: sharp, pleuritic chest pain that worsens when supine (≈90%); new widespread electrocardiographic ST-segment elevation and PR depression (≈25%-50%); a new or increased pericardial effusion that is most often small (≈60%); or a pericardial friction rub (<30%). In North America and Western Europe, the most common causes of acute pericarditis are idiopathic or viral, followed by pericarditis after cardiac procedures or operations. Tuberculosis is the most common cause in endemic areas and is treated with antituberculosis therapy, with corticosteroids considered for associated constrictive pericarditis. Treatment of acute idiopathic and pericarditis after cardiac procedures or operations involves use of high-dose nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), with doses tapered once chest pain has resolved and C-reactive protein level has normalized, typically over several weeks. These patients should receive a 3-month course of colchicine to relieve symptoms and reduce the risk of recurrence (37.5% vs 16.7%; absolute risk reduction, 20.8%). With a first recurrence of pericarditis, colchicine should be continued for at least 6 months. Corticosteroids are often used if pericarditis does not improve with NSAIDs and colchicine. In certain patients with multiple recurrences, which can occur for several years, interleukin 1 (IL-1) blockers have demonstrated efficacy and may be preferred to corticosteroids., Conclusions: Acute pericarditis is a common cause of nonischemic chest pain. Tuberculosis is the leading cause of pericarditis in endemic areas and is treated with antitubercular therapy. In North America and Western Europe, pericarditis is typically idiopathic, develops after a viral infection, or develops following cardiac procedures or surgery. Treatment with NSAIDs and colchicine leads to a favorable prognosis in most patients, although 15% to 30% of patients develop recurrence. Patients with multiple recurrent pericarditis can have a disease duration of several years or more, are often treated with corticosteroids, and IL-1 blockers may be used for selected patients as steroid-sparing therapy.

This article reviews and discusses non-myocardial disorders which represent diagnostic challenges when evaluating patients for suspected heart failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. This includes pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension, which is important to differentiate from post-capillary hypertension caused by left sided heart disease. The impact of electrical disorders on LV diastolic function is also reviewed, and includes a discussion of left bundle branch, which has both a direct effect on LV diastolic function, as well as a long-term effect due to remodeling. Furthermore, evaluation of diastolic function in patients with atrial fibrillation is discussed. Pericardial diseases are reviewed as well as effects of a normal pericardium on diastolic function in failing hearts. Finally, the article reviews how valvular diseases impact LV diastolic function., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Aims: In the phase 3 trial, RHAPSODY, rilonacept effectively resolved active pericarditis recurrences, and long-term treatment led to sustained pericarditis recurrence risk reduction. Prior analysis suggested association between higher late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) at baseline and more rapid recurrence upon rilonacept suspension after 12 weeks of treatment. This subgroup analysis assessed the utility of longitudinal serial cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging for tracking clinical improvement and predicting post-treatment-cessation outcomes to help guide clinical decision making., Methods and Results: At an 18-month decision milestone (18MDM) in the RHAPSODY long-term extension, investigators decided if patients would continue rilonacept, suspend rilonacept for off-treatment observation, or discontinue the study. Pericardial thickness, pericardial edema (T2-STIR), and LGE were determined at baseline and 18MDM by an imaging core lab blinded to clinical data, and pericarditis recurrence was investigator-assessed. CMR results in patients with data at both baseline and 18MDM (n=13) showed that pericardial thickness, T2-STIR, and LGE were reduced during rilonacept treatment. Among patients with CMR data who suspended rilonacept at the 18MDM (n=7), 5 (71%) had a pericarditis recurrence within 1-4 months of rilonacept suspension, despite all having had none/trace LGE (n=7) and negative T2-STIR (n=7) at the 18MDM and 2 having received prophylactic colchicine., Conclusions: Continued clinical improvement during prolonged rilonacept treatment corresponded with improvement on CMR, including reduced pericardial thickness, resolution of pericardial edema, and resolution of LGE. However, none/trace LGE at 18MDM while on treatment did not predict absence of pericarditis recurrence upon subsequent rilonacept suspension in this size-limited subgroup., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: Rilonacept inhibits the interleukin-1 pathway, and extended treatment in patients with recurrent pericarditis (RP) reduced recurrence risk by 98% in the phase 3 trial, RHAPSODY long-term extension (LTE). Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 vaccination and/or infection may trigger pericarditis recurrence, and in clinical practice, it is unknown whether to continue rilonacept during SARS-CoV-2 infection. This post-hoc analysis of the RHAPSODY LTE aimed to inform rilonacept management in RP patients vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 or who contract COVID-19., Methods: Analysis was conducted from May 2020 to June 2022. The LTE portion of RHAPSODY LTE enabled up to 24 months of additional open-label rilonacept treatment beyond the pivotal study. Rilonacept efficacy data in preventing pericarditis recurrence were assessed, and concomitant SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and COVID-19 adverse event data were evaluated., Results: No pericarditis recurrences were temporally associated with vaccination. Sixteen COVID-19 cases were reported; 10 in 30 unvaccinated or partially vaccinated patients (33%) vs 6 of 44 fully vaccinated patients (14%; P  = 0.04). Twelve of 16 patients (75%) were receiving rilonacept at the time of infection, and none experienced pericarditis recurrence. One pericarditis recurrence occurred in the peri-COVID-19 period in 1 of 4 patients who had stopped rilonacept treatment > 4.5 months prior. COVID-19 severity was mild in 13 patients, moderate in 2, and severe in 1., Conclusions: Full vaccination effectively reduced COVID-19 events in patients treated with rilonacept. Vaccination or COVID-19 during rilonacept treatment did not increase pericarditis recurrence. Continued rilonacept treatment in patients contracting COVID-19 did not worsen disease severity, whereas rilonacept interruption increased pericarditis recurrence, supporting a recommendation for continued rilonacept treatment for RP during vaccination or COVID-19., Clinicaltrialsgov Identifier: NCT03737110., (© 2024 The Authors.)