Dear Colleagues,

 

Pericardial syndromes constitute a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The most recent 2015 European Society of Cardiology Guidelines on the diagnosis and management of pericardial diseases shed light on various aspects of pericardial syndromes, including pathophysiology, epidemiology, imaging, treatment, and prognosis and helped health care professionals make decisions in their daily practice. Despite progress in this field, several unsolved questions and unmet needs still pose research challenges. Following the aforementioned guidelines, high-quality studies filled several of the existing gaps in knowledge. Moreover, in the last year, COVID-19 and vaccination against COVID-19 brought pericardial disorders frontstage. In light of these developments, the special issue, ‘New Concepts, Treatments and Diagnostic Tools for Pericardial Syndromes,’ aims at collecting high-quality original research papers and comprehensive reviews on the recent developments in the field of pericardial syndromes. The topics of interests include but are not limited to:
● Acute pericarditis 
● Recurrent pericarditis 
● Chronic pericardial effusions 
● Novel pharmacotherapies for refractory recurrent pericarditis 
● Constrictive pericarditis (permanent, transient effusive constrictive) 
● Cardiac tamponade 
● Imaging in pericardial disorders 
● Pericardial effusions in heart failure 
● Myopericarditis 
● The role of colchicine in pericardial syndromes 
● Insights in the pathogenesis of recurrent pericarditis 
● Prognosis of pericardial diseases 
● Incessant pericarditis 
● Surgical treatment of pericardial diseases 

 

Dr. George Lazaros

Guest Editor