Recurrent pericarditis and dermatitis herpetiformis. Evidence for immune complex deposition in the pericardium.

Recurrent pericarditis can be associated with many chronic illnesses. Dermatitis herpetiformis is a chronic papulovesicular eruption which is characterized by granular IgA deposits in the dermal papillary tips and associated with a gluten-sensitive enteropathy. We describe the first case of recurrent pericarditis in association with dermatitis herpetiformis. This supposition is supported by exclusion of other possible etiologies and pericardial biopsy which revealed the deposition of IgG, IgA and complement.