31 cases of pericarditis who were admitted to pediatric department, Severance Hospital from April 1958to March 1975 (for 17 years) were studied clinically. They consisted of 28 cases with acute pericarditis and 3 cases with chronic constrictive pericarditis. The incidence of pericarditis among the admitted cases was 0.2% and both sexes were almost equally affected. Cases of acute pericarditis were most commonly of rheumatic origin (7 cases2-9.6%), followed by idiopathic (6 cases), purulent (5 cases) and tuberculous (5 cases) in order of frequency. There was one acutecase of pericarditis caused by Paragonimus westermani and all cases of chronic pericarditis were tuberculous in origin.
Pericarditis was most commonly found in children of 6 to 10 years of age (15 cases~48. 4%) and 1 to 6 years (8 cases), more than 10 years (7 cases) and under 1 year (1 case) in order of frequency.
Duration of symptoms from onset to admission averaged 24 days (1 day-r6 months) in cases of acute pericarditis and 13.7 months (6^20 months) in chronic forms.
The most common findings on chest X-ray was enlarged cardiopericardial shadows (89.lj%) and the next, decreased amplitude of cardiac pulsation (60%) on the fluoroscopic examinations.
T wave changes were the most common findings (61.4%) on E.C.G., followed by ST segment changes (42.9%) and low QRRS voltages (28.6%).
13 cases (41.9%) were treated with medical treatmentont and 12 cases (38.7%) with combined medical therapy and pericardiocentesis. Of 31 cases, 5 cases (16. 1%) died, anc: the causes of death were congestive heart failure in 3 cases and septicemia in 2 cases.
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