A Case Report: Acute Pericarditis Revealing Celiac Disease

Background: Acute pericarditis is usually attributed to viral etiology, but rarely proven. It can be the first manifestation of an autoimmune disorder such as celiac disease. In this context, there are just a few case reports demonstrating the association between acute pericarditis with celiac disease. Case presentation: We describe a case of 48-year-old male patient admitted with acute chest pain. Electrocardiogram showed classical patterns of acute pericarditis and no evidence of acute myocardial ischemia. Based on a history of iron deficiency anemia, refractory to oral therapy, further investigation with duodenal biopsy revealed celiac disease. Treatment was initiated with ibuprofen and colchicine showing a good clinical response. After the confirmation by duodenal biopsy, gluten-free diet was started, obtaining subsequent normalization of hematimetric parameters. Conclusions: The association of celiac disease and acute pericarditis reports are rare. Efforts are mandatory to investigate concomitant autoimmune systemic diseases, with impact on overall management of the patient and possible avoiding further pericardial events.