In approximately 5% of patients with idiopathic recurrent pericarditis, the disease usually follows a chronic relapsing course, and children can develop dependence and side effects of prolonged high-dose corticosteroid regimens. In this setting anakinra, a recombinant human interleukin-1 competitive receptor antagonist that blocks the biologic effects of interleukin-1, thereby reducing systemic inflammatory responses, appears to be one of the most promising strategies. We report an adolescent with steroid-dependent idiopathic recurrent pericarditis that was successfully treated with anakinra, highlighting that this therapeutic option seems to be an effective, rapidly acting, steroid-sparing, and relatively safe agent for the treatment of this entity in children.

Kawasaki disease is an acute self-limited vasculitis of unknown aetiology. The prognosis depends mainly on coronary damage. There is no consensus regarding optimal adjunctive therapeutics for refractory forms to treatment by intravenous immunoglobulins and corticosteroids. We report the case of an 18-month-old infant with refractory Kawasaki disease complicated by diffuse aneurysms of coronary arteries and successfully treated by anakinra with partial regression of coronary aneurysms