Colchicine in Pericarditis

Extract

A Mediterranean legacy from Before Christ (BC) revived in the 21st century AD 

The Mediterranean Basin has been the cradle of world civilization since the first settlements in Jericho in 9000 BC. Known in English and the Romance languages as the sea “between the lands”, the Mediterranean goes and has gone by many names: Our Sea, for the Romans, the White Sea (Akdeniz) for the Turks, the Great Sea (Yam Gadol) for the Jews, the Middle Sea (Mittelmeer) for the Germans and more doubtfully the Great Green for the ancient Egyptians. David Abulafia.

As the 30th anniversary of the first pericarditis patient treated with colchicine is upon us,¹ this article is a tribute to those who participated in its success. It is remarkable that since early years, the idea of using colchicine for treating pericarditis emerged in the Mediterranean Basin, and the vast majority of research occurred there until colchicine was recognized as an adjunct treatment for acute and recurrent pericarditis. In fact, colchicine and the Mediterranean are inseparable.