[Secondary immunologically-caused myocarditis, pericarditis and exudative pleuritis due to meningococcal meningitis].

Myocarditis, pericarditis and pleural effusion as secondary immunological reactions due to meningococcal meningitis are rare. Meningococcal meningitis is itself uncommon, with a morbidity of approximately 1.25 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year in Germany. Cardial participation could be observed either primary infectious-toxic in the first week or secondary immunologic in the second week after disease onset. In our patient, six days after the onset of meningococcal meningitis (serogroup B) a distinct swelling of the myocardium appeared together with pericardial effusion in the absence of Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome. This case is proving difficult to tackle therapeutically due to repeated relapses.