Effects of oral colchicine administration as first-line adjunct therapy in myopericarditis.

BACKGROUND: Although current guidelines recommend routine use of oral colchicine as a first-line adjunct therapy to aspirin/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for acute and recurrent pericarditis, there are insufficient data to recommend routine use of colchicine for the initial management of myopericarditis.

METHODS: The records of 194 patients who were admitted for myopericarditis were investigated retrospectively. Patients receiving oral colchicine (n = 33) as an adjunct to aspirin/NSAIDs comprised the study group and patients who received conventional therapy (n = 31) formed the control group. Plasma C‑reactive protein (CRP) levels, cardiac biomarkers, and several electrocardiographic parameters of atrial activation were evaluated before the start of treatment and at the 6‑month follow-up.

RESULTS: Assessments before and after treatment with regard to cardiac biomarkers and plasma CRP levels showed improvements in both groups (p > 0.05). There were statistically significant improvements in P wave indices including P wave duration, PR interval length, P wave dispersion, P terminal force, and isoelectric interval in the colchicine therapy group compared with the control group (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: Routine use of colchicine for the initial management of myopericarditis as a first-line adjunct therapy to aspirin/NSAIDs in patients with myopericarditis has favorable effects on electrocardiographic indices of atrial activation parameters.